A/HRC/38/6 102. The delegation of Romania said that efforts were being made to modernize detention facilities and reduce prison overcrowding. Renovations to existing prisons and the construction of new buildings helped address issues relating to detention conditions and the shortage of detention places. The construction of two new penitentiaries had been planned by 2023. Investment in penitentiary infrastructure had been funded by the State budget, as would continue to be the case. In addition, financial support had been received from the Government of Norway, and loans had been made by international organizations. The Government had also taken several measures to address the shortage of prison staff and ensure effective management of prison incidents. The Government had prepared a detailed timetable, covering the period to 2024, to overcome prison overcrowding, improve detention conditions and ensure that effective remedies were available to compensate for damages caused in the past as a result of those issues. 103. Combating human trafficking remained a priority for the Government. The national strategy against trafficking of human beings 2012–2016 has focused on prevention and protection measures. A large part of the educational and awareness-raising activities had targeted groups that were particularly vulnerable to human trafficking. Romania had taken measures to improve victim identification and to ensure effective investigation of cases of human trafficking and prosecution of perpetrators, including seizing the assets of and profits made by human traffickers. It had strengthened international cooperation in order to fight trafficking in human beings effectively through increased participation in joint investigation teams for human trafficking cases. 104. As a result of legislative reforms implemented in 2014, particularly amendments to the Civil Code, the number of persons deprived of liberty had fallen and the use of alternative measures of punishment had increased. The Government had ensured that human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs) had increased access to places of police detention in order to carry out monitoring visits. 105. The Government had taken several measures to build trust and understanding between the police and the Roma minority, which had resulted in an increase in the number of police officers of Roma origin. The Police Academy provided professional training on the protection of human rights and combating discrimination. Between 2013 and 2016, over 300 police officers had received training in the Romani language and culture. To better connect with the needs of the Roma community, specialized community policing for the Roma communities had been set up in 2013, with financial support from the SwissRomanian Cooperation Programme. An advisory committee had been set up to study police interventions in multi-ethnic communities and put forward recommendations on how to effectively organize and carry out such actions, as well as document and disseminate good practices in the field of Roma-police relations. Additionally, since 2017 police officers had been receiving training on the Holocaust. 106. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has been promoting gender equality among law enforcement officers. There were currently over 10,000 women police officers. The current Minister of Internal Affairs was the first woman to head a ministry in Romania. 107. The new amendments to the law on the Ombudsman had introduced provisions to ensure the full compliance of the Ombudsman’s Office with the Paris Principles, which would assist in its accreditation as a national human rights institution. The Ombudsman’s Office had been allocated an adequate budget for 2018 for its effective functioning under the expanded mandate. 108. The Ombudsman for Children had been established under new legislation and could receive complaints concerning violations of the rights of children and carry out anonymous visits to detention centres, foster-care centres and educational and health institutions. The Ombudsman had been authorized to file criminal complaints for cases of violence against and abuse of a child. Romania would carefully consider the issue of ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure. 109. The relevant laws and strategies provided the necessary guarantees for the protection of children against violence in all settings. The legal framework provided for effective 10