A/HRC/23/7 Prosecutions, the Police Service, the Prisons Service, and the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime. 10. The delegation stated that, in order to protect and safeguard the interests of the people from possible police misconduct, such as torture, corruption and other forms of malpractice, a motion had been adopted in 2011 towards the creation of the Independent Police Complaints Commission. 11. Furthermore, in 2009, a woman had been elected head of the legislature. That election was in addition to key appointments of women to positions of leadership, which included that of the Governor of the Central Bank of Botswana, the Attorney General and the Ombudsman. In the public service sector, female leadership stood at over 40 per cent. 12. With regard to access to justice, the delegation stated that more specialized courts had been established. The initiative had been further augmented by the extension of the Judicial Case Management System from the High Court to lower courts with a view to improving case management and facilitating speedy resolution. In addition, the Government introduced a pilot project on legal aid in 2011, to promote greater access to justice for needy citizens. 13. The delegation stated that the Government continued to pay particular attention to the rights of women, children and youth. Public education on HIV/AIDS, gender-based violence and gender-sensitization initiatives had been adopted. 14. In 2009, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) had been domesticated through the enactment of the new Children’s Act, incorporating the Bill of Child Rights. 15. A comprehensive six-year (2010-2016) National Action Plan for Orphans and Vulnerable Children had been adopted to facilitate the welfare and protection of vulnerable children. 16. The delegation stated that the Government had made those strides despite its small and vulnerable economy. 17. The delegation underscored the country’s need for assistance and support. Most urgently, Botswana required support for the development of a comprehensive strategy and plan of action on human rights, and was willing to engage with local and international partners in that regard. 18. The delegation stated that the Government had not made any changes to the clemency procedure since 2008, since the procedure was considered sufficiently transparent so as not to warrant any review. 19. The delegation indicated that there was no legislation specifically addressing marital rape. That was a sensitive matter that hinged on established cultural beliefs. Wide consultations with the public and legislators were ongoing. 20. Furthermore, the delegation stated that the Government had put in place a comprehensive public education and awareness programme to disseminate information on the Domestic Violence Act. The Government was at an advanced stage of developing regulations to the Domestic Violence Act to improve implementation. 21. The delegation reported that a number of initiatives were also being developed, including the establishment of the Gender-Based Violence Referral System, which was aimed primarily at promoting closer collaboration among key service providers for survivors and perpetrators. The Government was currently validating the 2012 GenderBased Violence Indicators Study, which was due for completion in September 2013. 22. The delegation indicated that the National Gender Machinery continued to work with the Botswana Police Service to train police officers on gender-based violence issues. 4