A/HRC/31/12 8. Measures had also been taken to ensure the successful integration of many asylum seekers and refugees, including by combating racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. The Government recognized that racist prejudices and attitudes existed in parts of society and that additional measures were needed to address the phenomenon. The 2010 National Action Plan for Integration remained an important instrument to combat discrimination and prejudice. Several projects had been successfully carried out in the framework of the Action Plan. 9. While noting the importance of comprehensive statistical data in combating racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance, the Government recognized shortcomings with regard to the availability of concise statistical data, particularly disaggregated data. Working groups had been set up to improve the data collection system. The issue would be also addressed in connection with the National Action Plan on Human Rights, which had been developed as a result of the first universal periodic review and of recommendations made by other human rights bodies. 10. The 2015 amendments to the Criminal Code strengthened protection against hate speech, prohibiting public incitement to violence based on race, colour, language, religion, nationality, descent, gender, disability, age and sexual orientation and stipulating a punishment for such offences of up to two years’ imprisonment. Public incitement to hatred through media and the Internet would also be punishable by imprisonment for a maximum of three years. Moreover, the establishment of and participation in organizations or groups whose purpose was to incite to racism, racial hatred or racial discrimination became a criminal offence. Thus, the criminal law — recognizing racist motivation as an aggravating circumstance for a long time — had been strengthened to address effectively hate crimes and hate speech. 11. Amendments to the Juvenile Court Act to ensure the use of detention as a last resort for juvenile offenders would enter into force in 2016. Several measures had been envisaged to achieve that objective. 12. A working group had been established to assess the situation of detention of persons who, because of their health, could not be held fully accountable for their actions and to identify problematic areas. The working group had made proposals on related organizational, legislative and technical matters. The current reorganization of the detention of such persons constituted the greatest reform in the area of enforcing measures involving deprivation of liberty in the past 40 years. 13. The administrative court system had been fundamentally reorganized in 2014 to meet all the standards of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The mandate of the Austrian Ombudsman Board had been extended so that it could fulfil the function of a national preventive mechanism in line with the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture. 14. The independence of the Austrian Ombudsman Board was set out in constitutional law. The members of the Board could not be removed or dismissed during their term of office, which lasted six years. They were accountable to Parliament. The Board had its own budget. 15. The delegation expressed its gratitude for advance questions and provided responses to them. Regarding questions on independent investigations into alleged abuses by law enforcement officials, the delegation explained that the procedure for investigating such allegations were regulated by criminal laws and by decrees issued by the Ministries of Justice and of the Interior. 16. The delegation noted that existing legislation provided the authorities and the courts with tools to combat acts of discrimination. At the same time, a comprehensive evaluation 4