A/HRC/8/50 Page 9 recommended the reinforcing of measures taken against trafficking children, in particular cross-border trafficking, and child labour. 29. Regarding the rights of women, France welcomed the draft family code, which constitutes a step forward. France noted that the draft has not yet been adopted by the National Assembly and does not seem to have been discussed at the level of civil society, and asked when this bill will come before Parliament for adoption. France also enquired about measures envisaged to reduce inequalities between girls and boys in the field of education, especially in rural areas, and to combat FGM, especially in the criminal and educational areas. France also asked what measures Mali plans to take to better punish the perpetrators of trafficking in women and recommended that Mali take the necessary steps to reduce discriminatory practices and violence against women. France welcomed the moratorium on the death penalty, mentioned that a text abolishing it was adopted by the Government in October 2007 and presented to the National Assembly, and asked whether the National Assembly will adopt this text in the near future. 30. In reply to questions asked by several delegations, the representative of Mali noted that the questions focused on a number of issues. As far as trafficking in children was concerned, he said that an emergency plan of action to combat the cross-border trafficking in children had been drawn up and implemented in 2000 and 2001. A national action plan against trafficking in children for the period 2002-2006 had been prepared and implemented. Community surveillance units had been created to prevent children from leaving. Moreover, Mali had acceded to various regional and international instruments on the protection of children, particularly those aimed at combating child labour and trafficking in children. Bilateral and multilateral agreements had also been signed and a travel document that could be used as a passport had been introduced for children up to the age of 18. A cooperation programme between Mali and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for the period 2008-2012 and a national programme to prevent child labour had been prepared. Order No. 02-062 of 5 June 2002, on the Child Protection Code dealt specifically with children’s issues. The Forum for Democratic Discussion (Espace d’interpellation démocratique) was a platform that enabled citizens to express their views in a meaningful way on the occasion of Human Rights Day. Since 1994, the Forum had given citizens the opportunity to address the Government directly in order to demand a right or denounce the violation of a right. The questions covered a wide range of concerns and, at the end of the session, an honorary panel consisting of eminent national and foreign personalities made recommendations to the Government. The draft Personal and Family Code had recently been submitted to a commission for an opinion. The commission’s report had been filed on 28 March 2008 and would soon be submitted to the President, who would give instructions concerning the adoption of the draft by the Government and its submission to the National Assembly. The representative of Mali acknowledged that access to justice was limited and said that it was his ambition to open information and guidance centres, such as those that were currently in the experimental stage in Bamako, throughout the country. He said that, in accordance with article 116 of the Constitution, the provisions of international instruments could be invoked in the national courts. Malian policy on female genital mutilation centred on awareness-raising and education and was based on the belief that it was essential to obtain widespread public support for the eradication of such practices before adopting legislation. The results obtained from that policy, when compared with those of other countries that had introduced legislation on the subject, were encouraging. He drew attention to the fact that the Criminal Code criminalized domestic and marital violence and noted that it was necessary to provide judges with better training so that they applied existing legislation on the subject strictly. Since 1984, there had been a moratorium on executions, and a bill on the abolition of the death penalty had been submitted to the National Assembly. The various reforms should be carried out within the framework of dialogue and consultation, and Mali undertook to ensure that the draft Personal and Family Code and the bill on the abolition of the death penalty would be adopted before the expiry of the term of the current head of State. Sectoral