A/HRC/14/37 669. A recommendation regarding attacks against human rights defenders had been partially accepted, as national institutions denounced attacks against human rights defenders and generally supported freedom of speech and expression. A recommendation concerning the rights of national minorities had been partially accepted because, through an institutional and legal framework, Bosnia and Herzegovina allowed national minorities, especially Roma, to initiate and implement their own initiatives within the legal framework and in accordance with the capabilities of individual communities. In practice, there had not been any major problems in the implementation of laws relating to the protection of minority rights. Moreover, after the inclusion in the Decade of Roma and adoption of the plan of action to address the issue of housing, employment, health care and education for Roma, and the appropriation of funds within the State budget, the country had initiated the necessary actions to prevent discrimination against Roma by involving local communities. 670. The delegation stated that, in recent years, in cooperation with UNHCR, UNICEF and social work centres, Bosnia and Herzegovina had continued to fight against the absence of birth registration of Roma children. The country had prepared a plan of action on the educational needs of Roma and other ethnic minorities with a view to voluntarily including Roma children into the regular education system in both entities, while there had been a significant increase in the number of Roma children in primary schools. Concerning the recommendation on the creation of conditions for the return of displaced persons and refugees, the adoption of the revised strategy for the implementation of annex VII to the Dayton Peace Agreement was under way. 671. The delegation also stated that, during the reporting period, Bosnia and Herzegovina had implemented activities that related to recommendations it had not accepted; for example, it had ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol thereto, and completed the procedure for the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The country continued activities to curb trafficking in children, child prostitution and child pornography. Legal regulations were continually being harmonized and efforts had been made to gradually implement the recommendations of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Activities on the harmonization of laws and fundraising for better implementing the rights of the child and projects for the improvement of the position of children had also continued. 672. In order to ensure equality for women, appropriate legislation had been adopted. The country was implementing strategies related to the protection of children: the strategy to combat violence against children; the plan of action for children; and the strategy against juvenile delinquency. In recent years, efforts had been focused on strengthening the capacity of governments, communities and activists to address issues of social exclusion and its impact on children, the youth and women. Authorities at all levels had implemented institutional capacity-building programmes to establish minimum national standards for the rights and welfare of children, as well as mechanisms for quality assurance, monitoring and reporting. There was a system of reporting violence against children, which operated on the basis of laws and was being continuously improved. 673. The delegation emphasized that human rights education was present in the curricula and educational standards in all primary and secondary schools and higher education institutions, and noted that Bosnia and Herzegovina had extended a standing invitation to special procedures mandate holders. 674. Gynaecological services at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of health care during pregnancy, childbirth and after childbirth and other health services were available to meet the needs of women. Bosnia and Herzegovina was implementing the third national plan of action to combat trafficking and illegal migration. GE.12-17781 149