A/HRC/13/59 CODAE should not, however, be considered a substitute for participation by people of African descent in public life. The experts 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. 28. The experts were informed that Afro-Ecuadorians lack a strong and cohesive civil society movement to represent and advance their interests. Efforts should be made by civil society and the Government to strengthen civil society so that it may effectively advocate for the advancement of the situation of Ecuadorians of African descent and contribute to the fight against the discrimination faced by them. The experts recognize the many and varied measures that the Government has adopted — and intends to adopt — to advance the situation of people of African descent, but firmly believes that civil society has a vital role to play in this regard that should not be overshadowed by State institutions. 29. While encouraging the Government to continue with its plans to transform its institutions and programmes so as to reflect the intercultural and multinational society referred to in the new Constitution, the experts urge the Government to take active steps to strengthen participation in public life by Afro-descendent civil society groups and movements. In the National Development Plan 2007–2010, it is stipulated that CODAE and the Ministry of Social Welfare will encourage the institutional development of AfroEcuadorian organizations by means of technical cooperation and training in the areas of planning, presenting, follow-up and evaluation of programmes and projects. The experts welcome this commitment and encourage the relevant authorities to devote all necessary resources to this end. 30. The experts were informed that four Ecuadorians of African decent had been elected to Parliament at the last elections; however, that number is not representative of the percentage of the Ecuadorian population of African decent. According to the 2001 national census, around 5 per cent of the population is of African descent, while the 4 parliamentarians make up just 3 per cent of the 124 members of Parliament. The experts were encouraged by the fact that an Electoral Council was to be created that would have one of its five posts designated to an Ecuadorian of African descent. The experts support more such affirmative action initiatives that will have the effect of strengthening participation by Afro-Ecuadorians in public life. Another such initiative is evidenced in the establishment of the Council for Citizen Participation and Social Control, which must include at least one representative of the Afro-Ecuadorian community. 4. Portrayal in the media and societal attitudes 31. The experts were informed on several occasions that Ecuadorians of African descent are often caricatured and ridiculed in the media. That the Afro-Ecuadorian population is often reduced to two-dimensional and humiliating stereotypes by the media is a worrying indication of not only a lack of sensitivity by the media, but also underlying racist attitudes in Ecuadorian society. In a number of meetings, the experts were told that there is a general tolerance in society of racist attitudes towards people of African descent and that unflattering stereotypes portrayed in the media are just a reflection of this wider phenomenon. The Government is encouraged to implement an awareness-raising campaign to educate the public about racism directed at people of African descent. The media should be engaged as an active participant in this campaign. 32. Members of the public service are not separate from society, and racist attitudes in society towards people of African decent are also found in members of such institutions as the police force. One case of particular resonance that was brought to the attention of the experts on several occasions is that of the detention and alleged mistreatment of 23 young men of African descent by the police in a public park on 13 April 2008. According to the information received, the reason given by the police for their arrest was that they were 10 GE.10-10207