A/HRC/13/59 60. The experts welcome the determination of the Government of Ecuador to fight poverty and, at the same time, they wish to stress that — of all issues negatively affecting Ecuadorians of African descent — poverty is one of the most pernicious. When employment is found, it is often unskilled and poorly paid. The experts encourage the Government to continue to implement programmes to alleviate the poverty endured by Afro-Ecuadorian families and to explore new and innovative income-generating projects. 61. The experts take note of the investment by the Ecuadorian authorities of an unprecedented amount of resources in social services designed particularly to benefit poorer sectors of society. They recommend, however, that additional measures be taken to enable Afro-Ecuadorians equal access to fundamental services such as health, education and adequate housing. 62. The experts are concerned by the implementation of the strategy to reduce poverty and enhance access to fundamental services on the basis of identified geographical necessity, rather than with a focus on specific sectors of society, such as people of African descent. The experts consider that such an approach should be supplemented with specific programmes aimed at benefiting Afro-Ecuadorian communities, wherever they are found. 63. The experts were informed that Afro-Ecuadorians lack a strong and cohesive civil society movement to represent and advance their interests. They are similarly concerned by the apparent lack of systematic and continual communication between NGOs, as well as between NGOs and Government. 64. The experts take note of the efforts of the Ecuadorian authorities in support of the participation of people of African descent in public life and decision-making processes through various initiatives at the central, regional, municipal and community level. They stress the need to enhance such participation in all spheres of public life, including political parties, the judiciary, the police force and professions such as education, the legal profession and academia. The experts urge the Government to take steps to strengthen participation in public life by Afro-descendent civil society groups and movements. 65. The experts also endorse the establishment of an Afro-Ecuadorian documentation fund at the Simon Bolivar Andean University. The experts are concerned by the absence of a research centre devoted to the study of AfroEcuadorian culture and history. 66. The experts are specifically concerned by the alarming levels of violence affecting some communities, domestic violence within Afro-descendent families and cases of detention and mistreatment of people of African descent by the Ecuadorian police. The experts underline the present situation of overrepresentation of people of African descent in detention centres as compared with the general population. 67. The experts are concerned by the representation of Afro-Ecuadorians in the media, specifically the presence of stereotypes and prejudices connected with AfroEcuadorian people. The experts were informed on several occasions that Ecuadorians of African descent are often caricatured and ridiculed in the media. 68. The experts note the measures contained in the National Development Plan 2007–2010 to advance the situation of Afro-Ecuadorian women. The experts perceive that gender discrimination is exceptionally rife in the field of protection, poverty, education, work and equal remuneration. The experts are specifically concerned by the situation of under-age and single-parent mothers and women who are domestic workers. 16 GE.10-10207