A/HRC/8/45 Page 4 led to significantly reducing the number of inmates. In August 2006, the Government also adopted the State Programme for improving detention conditions, which will last until 2010. With regard to tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, the improvement guaranteed by modern technologies has allowed the preparation of increasingly effective programmes. In addition, to be noted were the future implementation of two further programmes on AIDS and the results of an international conference, to be organized together with WHO, on this issue. The general conditions of detention have improved as well: visits of jails and correctional institutions by national and international organizations, in addition to religious and mass media groups, are nowadays a regular feature. The abolition of disciplinary punishment and the upgrading of equipment and resources available to the detainees have also contributed to the improvement of quality life while in detention. 7. The Deputy Minister stated that the Government had been endeavouring to bring national legislation in line with international standards through, inter alia, comprehensive studies which also include a gender perspective. Several conclusions drawn from these studies brought changes to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code with a view to humanizing the judicial system. As an example, it was noted that imprisonment was the main form of punishment and that certain offenders like minors, elderly persons and women could have more lenient sentences for less serious offences. The concept of torture was redefined and it is now believed to be in line with article 1 of the Convention against Torture. 8. In its effort to reform the criminal justice system, the Government drafted a bill aimed to compensate persons who went through long pre-trial detention periods and undue lengthy court proceedings. A recent Presidential decree also created an ad hoc code for minor offences, not yet adopted, which will require short periods of detention, replacement of detention by fines and other administrative measures and temporary deprivation of certain rights. Another priority was the reform of pre-trail investigation and detention. Finally, the global reform of the judicial system will also include the solution of certain cases through a mediation procedure, and the creation of a network of social institutions working for the rehabilitation and the reintegration of former detainees. 9. Protection of minorities’ rights and the fight against racism were constant concerns of the Government, which spared no efforts to thwart related phenomena such as xenophobia, the incitement of racial hatred and intolerance, crimes punishable with sentences up to five years. The Deputy Minister wished to underline that, by and large, occurrences of racism were neither systemic nor widespread within the Ukrainian society, which condemned these acts. 10. The resettlement of previously deported peoples, such as the Bulgarians, Armenians, Greek, Germans and Crimean Tatars has been one of the priorities of Ukrainian Governments since 1991, when a specific budget line was created for the return and successful reintegration of those peoples within the Ukrainian society. Education and teaching in mother tongue was used as a means of reintegration and adaptation to the Ukrainian society; approximately 15 schools in Crimea teach in Crimean Tatar language. 11. In a democratic society, the Deputy Minister said, fully fledged cooperation between State and non-State actors is essential to the progress of democracy. With the aim to redeem the shortcomings of the previous legislation on freedom to association, the Government enacted a new bill on social organization, based on relevant international provisions and article 36 of the Constitution. The bill removed all territorial restrictions to NGOs activities and provided them with a new legal definition. NGOs, which could also have commercial activities on a non-profit basis, must notify their existence to the Ministry of Justice, which will maintain a NGOs registry available, inter alia, on its website.