A/HRC/33/7 15. Greece attached importance to the integration of refugees and migrants, but its high unemployment rate hindered their access to the labour market. Regrettably, the high inflows had meant that more resources had had to be allocated to first reception than to integration. Beyond the assistance from the European Union, Greece had spent over €1.8 billion from its national budget and had been hiring personnel especially for the First Reception and Asylum Services. Such a crisis could only be addressed through international cooperation and burden sharing, but Greece was concerned that not all its European friends shared that principle. 16. Racist violence had been a concern, particularly in 2012/13. The authorities had reacted with measures including the strengthening of legislation and the creation of five special prosecutors for racist crimes. Parliament had been enabled to suspend State financing of political parties whose officials were provisionally detained for racist crimes, and the trial of members of the Golden Dawn party was ongoing. 17. A National Board against Racism and Intolerance had been established and an action plan would be forthcoming. A hate speech monitoring mechanism was also planned. New police units and offices had been established to investigate acts of racist violence and had received training. 18. The accountability of law enforcement personnel was a top priority. An office responsible for handling alleged instances of abuse had been established in law, but it was not yet operational owing mainly to a lack of resources. Greece was studying alternative ways to ensure that the mechanism was effective and independent. Impunity could not be tolerated. 19. A legislative review of equality and non-discrimination policies was almost complete. Amendments enacted had included reinforcing the competences of the Ombudsman and the explicit inclusion of “gender identity” and “gender characteristics” as grounds for non-discrimination. 20. Access to justice was ensured for victims of discrimination through measures such as free legal aid and fee exemptions for those on low incomes. 21. Greece had passed a law extending civil partnerships to include same-sex couples. The higher age of consent for male homosexual acts had been abolished and legislation on legal gender recognition was being considered. 22. A National Action Plan on the Rights of the Child was being drawn up, as was a national strategic plan for deinstitutionalization, in accordance with the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Minors had already been transferred out of the Lehaina centre, and experts were developing plans for the care of the other residents. Other measures were under way to reform foster care and adoption and to review the legal framework for State and private care institutions. 23. The situation in detention facilities remained a concern, but measures had been taken and the prison population had declined. Greece was engaging with expert European bodies to develop a strategic plan on prisons. The Ombudsman had stressed the need for a more holistic approach and the Ministry of Justice had adopted many of the Ombudsman’s proposals. 24. Access to counsel was ensured from the moment of deprivation of liberty. A lawyer was always appointed for those accused of a felony and for minors. Free legal aid was available to those on low incomes and vulnerable persons, such as victims of trafficking or domestic violence. Challenges remained regarding the speed of judicial proceedings, but a number of legislative amendments had been adopted to accelerate proceedings. 5