A/HRC/13/28 Road prison. The detention facility of the Special Court for Sierra Leone was handed over to the Prison Department, to which the Department plans to transfer female prisoners. Training was provided for prison officers on a human rights approach to prison management. Nonetheless, challenges remained, such as a lack of vehicles to convey convicted prisoners to court, inadequate supplies of medicine and toiletries, and cases of prolonged detention. Similarly, some prisons remained extremely overcrowded, a factor that affected the quality of the services provided to prisoners. 40. The Human Rights Section continued to participate in the regular justice sector coordination meetings of international partners. Eight such meetings were held to harmonize interventions in the justice sector to assist the implementation of the three-year justice sector reform strategy. The Justice Sector Development Programme of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Rescue Committee and the World Bank continued to be the main actors involved in strengthening the justice sector. B. 1. Transitional justice Special Court for Sierra Leone 41. In October, the Appeals Chamber of the Special Court for Sierra Leone upheld the convictions handed down in April by the Trial Chamber against three Revolutionary United Front indictees — Issa Sessay, Augustine Gbao and Mossis Kallon — who were sentenced to a term of 52, 40 and 25 years of imprisonment, respectively. The Court’s decision was important, as it was the first time that an international criminal tribunal had considered forced marriage and attacks on United Nations peacekeepers as crimes against humanity. 42. All eight prisoners convicted by the Special Court were transferred in October 2009 to Rwanda to serve their sentences, the Court deciding that there was no detention facility in Sierra Leone that could meet international minimum standards. The Human Rights Commission, however, expressed its serious concern at the transfer of prisoners to a foreign country, which would detach them from family ties. 43. While the Special Court is about to complete its mandate (only the case against Charles Talyor remains to be completed), it was involved in transferring its knowledge and legacy to national institutions, namely, the judiciary, prosecution, the police, prison and other national institutions and also civil society. In November, the Special Court detention facility was handed over to the Prison Department; there are plans to house female prisoners in the facility. 2. Implementation of the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission 44. Through the catalytic funding of $3 million provided by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, the National Action for Social Change, the implementing agency, made significant progress in implementing the reparations programme. The programme was launched in January 2009; 29,733 beneficiaries had been registered by the end of June. A total of 40 symbolic reparations were conducted in various parts of the country, involving symbolic reburial, memorials and remembrances. Micro-grants of $80 were provided to 21,000 beneficiaries, and fistula surgery was carried out on 235 victims of sexual violence. Surgery was also conducted on 36 victims to remove bullets. In addition, educational support was provided to 6,984 child victims. A five-year strategic plan for 2010–2014 was developed to continue physical health care, educational support, skill training, micro-grants, housing, symbolic reparations, construction of a national peace monument, psychosocial support and pension payments to those who have lost 50 per cent of their earning capacity. GE.10-10771 11