A/HRC/4/84 page 6 reasonable accountability mechanisms. The launching of the Action Plan was welcomed, inter alia, by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Afghanistan, who underlined that “[t]he decades of human rights violations in Afghanistan left huge numbers of victims whose suffering needs proper recognition and respect. Launching of the Action Plan is only a first step towards coming to terms with this legacy, but it shows that the dignity of victims is being respected. It also gives hope that the truth may be established, that justice may be achieved, and that tolerance, solidarity, and trust may be restored”.1 The implementation will require concerted effort by all, including the Government, the international community and civil society. 11. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the transfer of certain cases from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia to the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a new entity, represented an important opportunity to combat impunity through formal legal process taking place within the territory where the crimes were committed. The protection of witnesses has been a significant issue in this regard. The OHCHR Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina supported the process by working with the State Court to better protect the interests of the victim witnesses, providing a legal adviser to victims of sexual violence, and ensuring that laws for their protection throughout proceedings were adhered to. 12. OHCHR Bosnia and Herzegovina has also been advising the relevant ministries on how to better secure social and economic protections for those who had been made vulnerable by the conflict. In this context, OHCHR supported the elaboration and distribution of the Guide for Families of Missing Persons on Application of the Law on Missing Persons of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Guide has been developed by the Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Human Rights with the support of several other national and international organizations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Centre for Free Access to Information. The main aim of this document is to facilitate access to information and justice, as well as enjoyment of some guaranteed rights to the families of missing persons. 13. Additionally, in a follow-up to the recommendations of the Committee against Torture and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,2 the OHCHR office in Bosnia and Herzegovina supported the Government’s efforts to address the issue of reparation for civilian war victims, in particular victims of torture and sexual violence. In that regard, the Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities have established a working group on the State Law on Civilian Victims of War, composed of representatives of different Entity’s ministries, representatives of victims’ associations and NGOs dealing with victims’ issues. 1 See “United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Afghanistan, Tom Koenigs, welcomes today’s launch of the Action Plan on Peace, Reconciliation and Justice”, 10 December 2006, at http://www.unama-afg.org/news/_statement/ SRSG/2006/06dec10-HR-day.htm. 2 Conclusions and recommendations of the Committee against Torture (CAT/C/BIH/CO) and concluding observations of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (E/C.12/BIH/CO/1).