A/HRC/35/43 State’s technical and financial partners, however, the move to renovate places of detention continues, as does the search for additional funding to build new prison facilities. The need to build women’s prisons and education centres for minors has been brought to the attention of the President of the Republic and cooperation partners have already been approached in that connection. 55. The Independent Expert wishes to emphasize that serious thought must be given to the main causes of prison overcrowding, including the frequent use of pretrial detention. In particular, he encourages the authorities to reflect on criminal policy and the use of pretrial detention, which could be regarded as an exceptional measure that judges consider only when a careful assessment suggests that there is a serious risk to the proper conduct of criminal proceedings. VI. Situation of children in conflict with the law 56. During his mission in January 2017, the Independent Expert carried out a follow-up visit to the Abidjan Juvenile Observation Centre. At the time of his visit, the Centre housed 77 boys and 6 girls. Although the girls continue to be detained with women, during the daytime they are able to participate in activities organized in the Centre, including a literacy programme. There have been improvements in the management of the Centre, especially as regards the supply of water to the building, the provision of three meals a day and the reorganization of a number of educational workshops, including market gardening, carpentry and sewing. Every week, a number of NGOs provide support in the form of better meals, additional food supplies and trainers to run educational workshops. Other successful initiatives include the renovation of the premises and the provision of psychosocial support. 57. The length of time that minors are under observation has been reduced, thanks to better coordination between the judicial protection services for children and the Observation Centre. Similarly, coordination between socioeducational centres and child protection associations and NGOs has been improved, so that, when children leave the Centre, they can continue training to improve their social and professional prospects if they so wish, for example at the Abel Centre in Grand-Bassam or the programme run by the Amigo Foundation in Yopougon. The Independent Expert wishes to commend the role played by civil society, with the support of technical and financial partners, which together have actively contributed to bringing about these improvements. He hopes that such appreciation of their activities will encourage them to continue to provide support that is ever more responsive to the needs and best interests of the children. 58. Despite the general improvements at the Observation Centre, it should not be forgotten that it is still located on the premises of the Abidjan Detention and Correctional Centre, a prison meant to house only adults. In the Independent Expert’s view, the Observation Centre should be moved to appropriate premises that are entirely separate from the main prison, so as to adhere strictly to the principle of the separation of children and adults in detention, irrespective of the legal nature of their detention and the stage in their sentence that they have reached, but also to promote educational measures and to comply with the requirements of the principle of the best interests of the child. 59. It is also a matter of concern that minors on remand continue to be detained with adults at the prison. Actually, the relocation of the Observation Centre away from the prison would make it possible for the empty buildings to be used to accommodate minors on remand and thus keep them separate from adult detainees, at the same time allowing them closer contact with juvenile court judges. The Independent Expert is of the view that these measures are urgent and should be implemented without delay. At the time of his visit, he was informed that 84 minors who were on remand, including 4 girls, were being held with adults. 60. The judicial protection services for children and young people, which began operations in January 2016 in Yopougon, Abidjan, Man and Bouaké, are continuing their work (see the report of the Independent Expert’s fourth visit) and have been extended to the town of Daloa. The aims of the services are to support juvenile court judges in making decisions in civil and criminal cases and to ensure that social and educational factors are 12 GE.17-08076