A/HRC/17/8 9. Austria was currently a candidate for membership of the Human Rights Council from June 2011. On the basis of the voluntary pledges and commitments made by Austria in the context of this candidacy, it had been possible to achieve notable progress in their implementation: (a) Austria had recently incorporated children’s rights into the Constitution; (b) Considerable progress had been made with regard to the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and the creation of a national preventive mechanism, which will be incorporated into the Austrian Ombudsperson Board. The already existing Human Rights Advisory Board would be expanded at the same time; (c) Austria would soon deposit the ratification document for the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse; (d) Legislation was being prepared to introduce a separate crime of torture in the Austrian Penal Code; (e) The ratification process of the Convention on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearance (CED) and the inclusion of enforced disappearances as a criminal offence in the Austrian Penal Code were on the way; (f) Special provisions on crimes against humanity and war crimes were also being prepared for inclusion in the Austrian Penal Code; (g) The Parliament would start discussion this spring of the ratification of the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education. 10. Austria was aware of its specific historical responsibility and was committed to the fight against xenophobia, anti-Semitism, discrimination against Muslims and all other forms of racism and intolerance. 11. The current government programme envisaged a series of measures to enhance the protection against racism and discrimination, including a commitment to the implementation of the European Union (EU) Framework Decision against Racism and Xenophobia as well as the recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. 12. Anti-discrimination laws had been tightened in recent years. The Equal Treatment Commission, the Ombudsperson for Equal Treatment and the relevant bodies in the federal regions provided for protection against discrimination in employment and access to goods and services. Sanctions for all forms of discrimination had been continuously expanded and were consistently applied by Austrian courts. This would include compensation for material and immaterial damage. These efforts had contributed to an ever-increasing awareness and public sensitivity about discrimination issues. 13. Austria had a strict “zero tolerance” policy towards all forms of discrimination and ill-treatment by law-enforcement officials. An independent body, the Federal AntiCorruption Bureau, had been established in January 2010 to investigate alleged illtreatment by law enforcement officials. Criminal police and the public prosecutor were obliged to investigate any suspicion of ill-treatment by law. 14. To ensure the protection of migrants’ human rights, Austrian immigration legislation would provide the possibility to use the full spectrum of legal instruments and appeal procedures, including appeals to the Constitutional and Administrative Courts. In addition, Austria had enhanced human rights training for the justice and law enforcement sector. 15. On the preventive side, Austria was working to reinforce a tolerant and open social climate. The National Action Plan on Integration had been adopted in January 2010 to 4