A/HRC/23/49 The format of the consultations included a broad overview of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, and of the theme of the State responsibility to act with due diligence, a discussion on country case studies and, lastly, general discussions on the implementation of the due diligence standard in the participants’ respective countries. Participants discussed legal, policy and institutional challenges at the national level in the application of the due diligence standard and the identification of good practices and lessons learned in different countries of the region. 46. To differing degrees, all State responses reflect a focus on legislative and policy developments. Highlighted below are a few areas as reflected in the responses received from States; some of the concerns articulated in civil society responses/contributions, as well as in the regional consultations; and information from country missions that the Special Rapporteur conducted. 1. Legislation 47. States have amended or passed new laws at the criminal and civil law levels, either relating to gender equality in general with violence against women as one aspect, or specific laws on violence. The latter laws use a range of terminology and are applicable to family violence, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, trafficking, sexual violence, and female genital mutilation respectively. Most responses reflect developments in the sector of domestic violence, both civil and criminal law remedies, and trafficking. The trend towards gender neutrality in laws, as well as a shift in focus from violence against women specifically, is visible in developments in some countries. Also, law reform initiatives do not necessarily reflect international law developments, whether in respect of equality, non-discrimination, or bodily integrity rights, among others. Despite the existence of laws, reporting, prosecution and conviction rates remain low for acts of violence against women. 2. National strategies and action plans 48. The development of national strategies and action plans is also common across regions, with domestic violence and trafficking being the focus of most such measures. Some States lack a strategy or plan on violence against women, but have a strategy/plan on gender equality which includes violence against women. There is generally a lack of information and awareness on the importance of a holistic approach in respect of policy frameworks that address all forms of violence against women in an overarching manner, with specificity then emanating from the larger focus. Also, the achievement of complementary and mutually reinforcing protection and prevention measures, which take into account multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and the consequences thereof, are not reflected in such strategies and plans. 49. The lack of information on monitoring and evaluation processes and outcomes in respect of strategies/plans was the norm in State responses. Concerns by civil society organizations include: the existence of strategies without implementation plans; plans that do not set out the responsibility of different State agencies, benchmarks, timelines and budget allocations; the lack of adequate funding and specialized staffing for the implementation of such strategies and plans; the dependence on donors for funding for the implementation of plans; the lack of public education campaigns to generate information and knowledge about such strategies/plans; the lack of research on the effectiveness of such measures; and the lack of coherence and sustainability. While the Special Rapporteur encountered encouraging examples of joint protocols of action, referral systems and multidisciplinary mobile teams, adequate coordination among State service providers and between them and non-State services continues to be a main challenge. Also, the lack of 14