A/HRC/17/18 48. Norway noted the constructive participation of Paraguay in the universal periodic review. It referred to issues regarding gender equality, criminalization of abortion, inequality and limited public revenue, as well as the participation of civil society in the review’s preparatory process. Norway commended Paraguay for the efforts to enhance the human rights situation of indigenous peoples. Norway made recommendations. 49. Switzerland drew attention to deplorable conditions and overcrowding in prisons, as well as to the use of torture, especially in police stations, often with impunity. Switzerland also noted that corruption was widespread, and that the reinforcement of the rule of law and of an independent and impartial judicial system would be a fundamental condition for ensuring respect for human rights. Finally, Switzerland observed that the recognition of the rights of the indigenous population was not always fully ensured. Switzerland made recommendations. 50. The delegation of Paraguay proceeded to answer questions and address concerns raised during the interactive dialogue. 51. Regarding the penitentiary system, it reminded that the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture and the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment had recently visited Paraguay. The Paraguayan Government had received the recommendations of both mechanisms with great interest and was committed to progressively improving prison conditions. In that regard, by Decree No. 4674 dated 9 July 2010, the National Commission for Prison Reform had been established as a technical forum for discussion and support for the development of a plan to reformulate the treatment of persons deprived of liberty and the management of prisons. Likewise, the Government had decided to close by 2013 the first national penitentiary in Paraguay, named Tacumbú National Penitentiary, which hosted half of the penitentiary population in the country. The Government would invest 35 million dollars in the next years in transferring the detainees to more adequate facilities that complied with international standards. Also, it was worth noting that there was a bill on the implementation of a national mechanism for the prevention of torture in Congress, which had already been preliminarily approved by the Senate. 52. With regard to cases of torture, the delegation explained the process followed to investigate allegations by the Office of the Prosecutor General and units tasked with investigating human rights violations. According to statistics, every allegation had been officially investigated. 53. In response to queries about the situation of children and adolescents, the delegation further explained the institutional functioning of the National System for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Children and Adolescents. In addition, from 2008 to 2011, the budget of the National Secretariat for Children and Adolescents had increased by 400 per cent. The increase had been primarily devoted to the “Abrazo” programme aimed at reducing child labour. For its part, the National Council for Childhood and Adolescence put forward programmes for the period 2009–2010 to address birth registration and the situation and rights of children and adolescents in the street, among others. 54. One of the most important accomplishments of the current Administration was having achieved free education until the secondary level, which encompassed full exemption from tuition, examination fees and costs of qualifications, together with the provision of resources and school supplies, for all students attending public schools. Investment in education and culture had risen by an average of 18.5 per cent annually. The Ministry of Education and Culture had a budget equivalent to 17.7 per cent of the general budget, representing 4.9 per cent of gross domestic product. With regard to the inclusion of human rights content in schools’ curricula, the Ministry of Education and Culture, 9