A/HRC/23/22 have abolished or suspended conscription since 2009 include Albania, Ecuador, Poland and Sweden, according to the International Fellowship of Reconciliation. Ukraine indicated that it was presently transitioning to an all voluntary armed forces. Mauritius indicated that it did not have a military force, but a Special Mobile Force, that was part of the police and under the command of the Commissioner of Police. 41. The German Institute for Human Rights indicated that, with the end of compulsory military service in Germany, the programme for alternative service had also been suspended. However, it was recognized that the alternative service programme had significant benefits to German society, and that in 50 years, 2,718,360 young men had engaged in useful service to 37,000 social and charitable organizations. Consequently, Germany had established a new federal volunteer service open to men and women at all ages to engage in voluntary activity on a broad social scale. It was hoped that the new federal volunteer service would partially compensate those social and charitable institutions which had benefited from alternative civilian service. B. Alternative service 42. The Russian Federation indicated that article 59 of its Constitution recognized the right to conscientious objection to military service and the right to alternative service. Its submission stated that alternative service was regulated by the Federal Law on Alternative Civilian Service and that, from 2009 to 2012, the number of persons undertaking alternative service had steadily increased each year from 391 in 2009 to 587 in 2012. 43. Alternative military service, according to the European Organisation of Military Associations, should not be more than one and a half times the length of military service. War Resisters International said that best practice in relation to alternative service was exemplified by Denmark, which had alternative military service of the same length as military service. Since 2011, Norway had suspended substitute service for conscientious objectors. 44. Ukraine reported that, under its alternative service programme, all worked performed in a civilian capacity was regulated by the same labour laws and regulations applicable to other employees. Georgia reported that citizens performing civilian alternative service were usually assigned according to their place of residence and include participation in: (a) rescue, ecological, fire-prevention activities; (b) engineering, repair organizations; (c) organizations and facilities involving agricultural production; (d) establishments of health protection; and (e) public service establishments. 45. Greece reported that it had an alternative civilian service that was slightly longer than military service and that the period of service varied according to the length of service in the respective branches in the armed forces. The Ombudsman of Guatemala reported that there was a national service requirement that could be fulfilled either in the military or in a civilian capacity. C. Recognition of the right to conscientious objection to military service for conscripts and those serving voluntarily 46. The European Organisation of Military Associations indicated that conscientious objection should be available to both conscripts and persons serving voluntarily in the armed forces, both prior to and during military service. In replies to the request for information for the present report, it was indicated that in Georgia and Serbia, persons serving in the reserves can apply for conscientious objection to military service. 12