A/HRC/13/7 Cyprus about its intention to raise the age of criminal responsibility. Mexico made recommendations. 45. The Netherlands appreciated the answers given to written questions. It welcomed the commitment of Cyprus to combat gender discrimination. However, reports still expressed concerns about deep-rooted stereotyped attitudes. The Netherlands recognized the steps already taken to combat domestic violence, but remain concerned about reports of domestic violence against women and children, as raised by some treaty bodies. It welcomed the new law with regard to combating human trafficking. It noted that despite the efforts already taken by Cyprus, the stakeholders’ reports pointed out concerns with regard to discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation. The Netherlands made recommendations. 46. Morocco noted the effectiveness of actions taken by Cypriot institutions, particularly those of the Commissioner for Personal Data Protection and the National Bioethics Committee, which Morocco stated constituted good practices. It asked for more details on the experiences of those two structures and their contribution in the area of human rights. Morocco welcomed the intention to adopt legal instruments on forced disappearance and persons with disabilities and additional instruments on the rights of the child, which would strengthen cooperation with international mechanisms and the policy of dialogue and coordination. It asked for more information on measures to overcome difficulties in the implementation of the legislative framework as mentioned in paragraph 155 of the national report. Morocco made a recommendation. 47. Serbia acknowledged that the position of Commissioner for the Protection of Children’s Rights had been established in 2007 and asked about the initial experiences in the launching of that mechanism. Serbia noted that, owing to its geographical position, Cyprus was experiencing a rising influx of so-called economic immigrants. It thanked Cyprus for the information provided and asked if there were any additional measures for the improvement of the rights of children of those migrants, specifically in the field of education. Serbia appreciated any further information concerning measures taken to enhance their economic rights and possible integration in society. Serbia made a recommendation. 48. Ukraine noted with satisfaction the open invitation issued by Cyprus to special procedures. It commended the efforts to successfully respond to the recommendations of the treaty bodies. It noted that despite certain achievements, the problem of trafficking in women for sexual purposes persisted. Ukraine asked about the effectiveness of measures taken to combat trafficking in human beings and the number of persons, at least for the last two years, who had been prosecuted for involvement in the human trafficking business. Ukraine asked whether the people of Cyprus were aware of the problem of trafficking within their country and whether the large-scale public awareness campaign on the problem has been implemented. It asked Cyprus whether any training or education was provided for officials dealing with trafficking, in particular to ensure that victims of trafficking were treated as victims and not criminals. Ukraine concluded that the trafficking was a complex problem that required multi-faceted solutions and made a recommendation in that regard. 49. Israel noted the different legislative measures undertaken in the reform of the law since 1995, in particular those aimed at combating trafficking and exploitation of human beings, eliminating discrimination against women and promoting gender equality. Israel noted however that trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and children and domestic violence were still reported to be prevalent throughout the island. Israel was concerned about the abuse of those in police custody and of asylum-seekers. Israel made recommendations. 9

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