A/HRC/44/52/Add.2 Rapporteur sincerely hopes that progressive interpretation of the country’s Constitution combined with adherence to the international human rights instruments to which Ecuador is party will prevail. (b) Comprehensive Organic Law to Prevent and Eradicate Violence against Women 31. The Comprehensive Organic Law to Prevent and Eradicate Violence against Women, approved by the National Assembly in 2018, represents an important step in advancing women’s rights in the country. The Law contains many progressive provisions, and provides for comprehensive measures on prevention, care, protection and reparation (art. 1). It refers to all forms of violence against women and girls in all settings, and provides for a national intersectoral system for its implementation. It recalls, as its foundation, the international human rights instruments adopted by Ecuador. This includes the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, general recommendations Nos. 19 and 35 on gender-based violence against women of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Belém do Pará Convention and relevant recommendations from international human rights mechanisms. 32. As a means of implementing the Comprehensive Organic Law to Prevent and Eradicate Violence against Women, the Judicial Council agreed to develop an optimization plan in 2018.5 The aim of the plan is to strengthen specialized judicial units on violence against women across the country, and to establish a protocol to ensure the provision of adequate support to victims of such violence. 33. By 2014, 30 such units had been established in 24 cantons in 19 provinces (CEDAW/C/ECU/Q/8-9/Add.1, p. 8). During the visit, the Special Rapporteur was informed that 5 more such units had been established in Azogues, Lago Agrio, Morona, Francisco de Orellana and Tena. Another 3 were created in El Carmen, Naranjito and on Santa Cruz in October 2019.6 The Special Rapporteur believes that the establishment of such units in all provinces is crucial for the full implementation of the Law. 34. The Comprehensive Organic Law to Prevent and Eradicate Violence against Women also provides for the establishment of a national observatory on gender-based violence against women (art. 16 (2)). It should be responsible for the preparation of reports, studies and proposals to improve decision-making, and should ensure the effective implementation of the Law. At the time of drafting of the present report, the observatory was yet to be established. 35. The Special Rapporteur notes that the single registry on violence against women and the early warning system referred to in the Law are promising initiatives. Nevertheless, structural problems at the local level and the lack of proper coordination between the police, the judiciary, social services, the health-care system and other stakeholders, as well as the lack of training in applying the Law, could pose significant obstacles to their establishment. 36. The main challenge now is to ensure that the Comprehensive Organic Law to Prevent and Eradicate Violence against Women is fully implemented at all levels. Steps must therefore be taken to accelerate its effective implementation, including through adequate budgetary allocation, particularly at the provincial and local levels. (c) National plan 37. Article 19 (3) of the Comprehensive Organic Law to Prevent and Eradicate Violence against Women provides for the development of a national plan to prevent and eradicate violence against women, girls and adolescents, while article 19 (4) envisages the adoption of strategies to prevent and eradicate violence against women. During the visit, the Special Rapporteur was informed that they had not yet been adopted. 5 6 Pursuant to its resolution No. 052A-2018 of 23 August 2018. Report submitted to the Special Rapporteur by the Council of the Judiciary during the visit. 7