A/HRC/10/76 Page 5 preparation of its national report but they are hopeful that their engagement will be deepened in future reports. 17. The Netherlands and the United Kingdom asked about measures to ensure protection of minorities in Israel, including Israeli Arabs and the Bedouin population. Israel recognizes the discrepancies between different communities in Israel, and is committed to narrowing these gaps. There is a concerted effort to ensure that Israeli Arabs are represented in policy and decision-making positions. The historically nomadic Bedouin population, many of whom live in scattered clusters numbering several dozen houses, presents particular challenges, and an advisory committee on policy in this regard was established. The Committee, chaired by a former Supreme Court Justice, includes two Bedouin representatives. 18. Regarding the request of the United Kingdom for elaboration on measures taken to raise public awareness of human rights, Israel indicated that human rights education has become an integral part of the school curriculum and that continuing education on human rights issues is an important part of the training of the State’s law enforcement authorities. B. Interactive dialogue and responses by the State under review 19. During the interactive dialogue, statements were made by 54 delegations. 20. Brazil, Australia, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Norway, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Maldives, Mexico and Latvia thanked Israel for its participation, openness and willingness to cooperate in the universal periodic review process. 21. The State’s efforts and challenges upholding human rights and its institutions were noted by France, Austria, Belgium and Brazil, with particular reference to the Supreme Court; Ukraine and Turkey to the National Council for Children; Turkey to the Ombudsman for Children and Youth and a special Ombudsman for Arab children and immigrant children; the United Kingdom and Ukraine to the appointment of a national coordinator on trafficking in persons; Burkina Faso to the commission for equal rights for persons with disabilities; and Burkina Faso and Finland to the commission for equal opportunity in employment. Maldives mentioned the State’s signature of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Latvia the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography; Maldives and Japan, the cooperation with treaty bodies; and Switzerland, Maldives and Latvia, the cooperation with special procedures. The following delegations made reference to developments in the legal framework: Romania referred to the enactment of the Criminal Procedure Law in 2007 and amendments to the 1998 Freedom of Information Act; Turkey and Latvia to the Gender Implications Legislation; Greece to the enactment of the Equal Rights for Women Law; and the Philippines and Romania to the 2006 anti-trafficking law. Latvia, Japan, Ukraine, Mexico, Brazil and Romania highlighted the State’s efforts in combating trafficking; Burkina Faso and Ukraine, the efforts to promote the rights of the child; the Holy See, the United Kingdom, Burkina Faso, Mexico, Japan and Brazil, the efforts to promote the rights of persons with disabilities; the United Kingdom and Japan, the banning of corporal punishment throughout the education system; the Holy See, Latvia, Burkina Faso, Japan and Guatemala, the promoting of gender equality; the United Kingdom and Brazil, the promotion of the rights of same-sex couples; and Australia, the Parliamentary scrutiny of the state of emergency.