A/HRC/18/47 the accessibility of the laws in compilations for legal and judicial professionals. More information about these efforts is set out in section VI below. OHCHR also continued to support efforts towards increasing access to justice for juveniles and women, and ensuring that their rights are upheld in the criminal justice system. This included conducting joint trainings with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-WOMEN) for women’s NGOs to ensure they are fully cognizant of their rights under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, as well as advocating for the adoption of a law on juvenile justice. Additionally, OHCHR supported the Joint Working Group on Juvenile Justice in its efforts to promote and protect the rights of children and youth. 46. Under the programme, OHCHR also promoted external scrutiny by independent State institutions. Independent institutions are crucial to human rights protection: they provide the critical impartial advice needed to arrive at policymaking decisions on the basis of accurate and unbiased information. The programme is aimed at supporting the creation of two independent institutions: a national preventive mechanism (NPM) on torture, as required by the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and a national human rights institution (NHRI). OHCHR continued to provide internal advice to the inter-ministerial body established as a precursor to the creation of an NPM, including by assisting in its consideration of various options for an independent institution, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Interior on this issue. Progress towards the establishment of an NHRI slowed significantly after steps towards its creation had been made during the reporting period. Discussions between NGOs and the Government on a draft law for its creation have largely resulted in consensus; NGOs would now like to see the draft made the subject of a public consultation process. OHCHR supports open dialogue on the creation of an NHRI, including the consideration of options for public outreach on the issue. 47. OHCHR continued to assist in strengthening the capacity of national actors to monitor human rights violations. This included providing support to the Prosecutor General to conduct unannounced visits to places of detention. OHCHR also responded to several instances of alleged police brutality and torture in prisons and places of custody, adopting a targeted approach to intervention aimed at complementing existing efforts undertaken by NGOs and development partners. This included facilitating dialogue with members of the judiciary and government counterparts to ensure that duty bearers adhere to due process. Over 15 cases were investigated by the Battambang regional branch of OHCHR, dealing with instances of alleged abuse in the north-east provinces of Cambodia. In addition, the programme in Phnom Penh continued to intervene in cases of alleged brutality both in the capital and in surrounding provinces. 48. During the reporting period, a long-standing OHCHR project to help prevent arbitrary detention by increasing the capacity of the Court of Appeal was implemented. To date, a lack of such capacity has been a major cause of excessive detention, since many accused people wait excessive periods for appeals to be heard. OHCHR has advocated for the building of new courtrooms for the Court of Appeal as the first step in a plan to increase its capacity (further steps include the appointment of additional judges, better file management and the decentralization of the court). Following consultations with the President of the Court of Appeal and various donors, funding was secured from the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) for a new building; construction began in the second quarter of 2011. OHCHR is also contributing financially to the project. 49. The Penal Code, replacing the criminal provisions enacted by the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia in 1992, came into force in December 2010, marking the complete adoption of the criminal codes of Cambodia. OHCHR has emphasized the 13