A/HRC/43/3/Add.2 the 3,029 deaths recorded for the same period in 2018.18 The homicide rate in 2019 was 43.63 per 100,000 inhabitants, which represents a two-point increase over 2018.19 The large number of deaths classified by the observatory on violence at the National Autonomous University as “unidentified” could further increase the homicide rate.20 24. Various forms of violence against women and girls remained widespread. Between January and August 2019, 672 cases of sexual violence against women were processed by the judiciary, 60 per cent of which progressed to trial or reached sentence.21 According to the observatory on violence, during the same period, 185 women were killed. However, by August only 15 femicide cases had been processed, 4 of which had reached sentencing or progressed to trial. The other cases were dismissed in the preliminary phase of investigation.22 OHCHR was unable to obtain data on the number of complaints of femicide received by the Office of the Attorney General, but the low rate of prosecution and convictions in such cases raises concerns about the effectiveness of the criminal justice system. OHCHR appreciates the establishment of an inter-institutional commission to follow up on the investigation of violent deaths of women and femicides, at which it has observer status. 25. Violence and insecurity continued to drive people to flee their homes. Since 2013, the Government has recognized internal displacement caused by violence. On 28 March, a bill for the prevention and care of and protection against forced displacement was submitted to Congress but is still pending approval. As permanent adviser to the Inter-institutional Commission for the Protection of Persons Displaced by Violence, OHCHR has been coordinating with the Ministry of Human Rights to promote the approval of the bill. The establishment of a comprehensive protection mechanism for the estimated 247,000 internally displaced persons is still under discussion. B. Security and defence 26. Honduras remains highly dependent on the military for a range of security-related functions from law enforcement to securing penitentiary centres, although it has committed to withdrawing the military from public security functions (see, for example, CAT/C/HND/CO/2, paras. 13 and 16). The increase in military expenditure by 14 per cent between 2016 and 201823 and the increase by 7.2 per cent of the budget of the Ministry of Defence in 2019 bring into question the firmness of the commitment of the Government to moving steadily towards civilian security. The prevention of violence appears as a low priority, with less than 6 per cent of the amount raised by the security tax allocated to it.24 27. Reform of the national police and the Ministry of Security progressed, albeit slowly. The number of police officers increased by 1,079 in 2019, bringing the total number to 17,878. The Government has set a target of 26,000 police officers by 2022. The Directorate of Police Disciplinary Affairs under the Ministry of Security is in place and functioning but is seriously understaffed. By July, it reported that it was investigating 1,500 disciplinary complaints. It is unclear how this body coordinates with the Police Verification Commission, which has a mandate of civilian oversight of investigative and disciplinary bodies and processes.25 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 6 See www.sepol.hn/artisistem/images/sepol-images/files/Estadistica%20Diaria%20Septiembre% 202019--1.pdf (in Spanish). See www.sepol.hn/artisistem/images/sepol-images/images/777(1).PNG (in Spanish). In 2018, the observatory estimated that unidentified deaths amounted to 17.5 per cent of the number of violent deaths. No data are yet available for 2019. Data from the Electronic Centre for Documentation and Judicial Information. Data from the Electronic Centre for Documentation and Judicial Information. See World Bank, military expenditure as a percentage of GDP, available from https://datos.banco mundial.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS?locations=HN. See www.tasadeseguridad.hn/estadisticas.php?p=1 (in Spanish). Congress has extended the mandate of the Commission until 2022.