A/HRC/24/15 Corruption and the creation of the Special Criminal Court and a Ministry in charge of Public Contracts. 18. In terms of public health, the delegation noted the decline of the HIV/AIDS prevalence, the stabilization of the budget of the Ministry of Health and significant decline in the mortality rate of children under 5 years. 19. With regard to the recommendation to strengthen the National Commission for Human Rights and Freedoms (NCHRF), the delegation said that its implementation had been translated concretely in the increase of its budget and its compliance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (Paris Principles). 20. The delegation also underlined the country’s fruitful international cooperation in the area of human rights and its compliance with its obligation of submitting reports. 21. Furthermore, Cameroon received in 2011 and 2012 several regional and international mandate holders, such as the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders in Africa of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food. In addition to the expected visit of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, three other invitations had been sent to United Nations special procedures. 22. The delegation noted with satisfaction the protection of children’s rights and the carrying out of a national ongoing study on the identification of indigenous people. 23. However, the implementation of some recommendations still remained causes for concern for Cameroon. 24. In that regard, the delegation mentioned the compliance of places of detention with international standards. Even though some progress had been made, efforts still needed to be carried out to improve food for prisoners, enhance sanitation in prisons, build new prisons and modernize existing ones. The continuation of the implementation of the Programme for Improving the Conditions of Detention (PACDET) with the collaboration of the European Union was expected to overcome some of those challenges. 25. The delegation was also concerned at the adherence to international conventions and noted that of the seven international instruments whose ratification had been accepted, two had been actually ratified (the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OP-CAT) and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict (OP-CRC-AC)). 26. Regarding decent housing facilities, the delegation stated that the 2010–2013 programme for the building of 10,000 low-cost houses and the development of 50,000 building plots was under way although it had met with some delays. 27. The unsatisfactory implementation of some recommendations was not the result of bad faith from the Government but was due to limited resources, time necessary for the changes of attitude from the population and administrative work-related issues. 28. The delegation listed various challenges that Cameroon had been facing such as the fight against impunity; problems linked to the capacity-building of State and civil society’s stakeholders; and education and awareness on human rights issues. Added to those challenges were the inadequate means for economic, social and cultural rights; the lack of a formal mechanism for monitoring and evaluating public policy and the lack of the collection and dissemination of statistics on human rights. GE.13-15472 5