CHAPTER THREE: DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL GOVERNANCE __________________________________________________________________________ 112. With regard to child protection, Law 61-20 of 5 July 1961, on the displacement of minors under 18 out of the territory, and Decree 73-37 of 17 April, on trafficking and the abduction of minors, were never enforced. A vote on a new law, on the conditions of displacement of minors and punishment for child trafficking in the Republic of Benin, was called for on 30 January 2006. This text, just like others already ratified by Benin, must be enacted, disseminated and enforced throughout the country. 113. The effectiveness of the implementation of these instruments can be assessed by the regularity with which the National Human Rights Consultative Council submits reports on violations of human rights to the relevant UN bodies and to the AU. This body is attached to the Ministry of Justice and replaces the Benin Commission on Human Rights, which no longer exists as it was too politicised. In this regard, it is important to stress the fact that the delay in the submission of the National Human Rights Consultative Council reports is worrying to say the least. The report on the implementation of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which should have been submitted in 1993, was only submitted in 2004. The same goes for the report on the implementation of CEDAW. It was due in November 2005 but was never submitted. The report on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, due in January 2002, suffered a similar fate. iii. Recommendations of the APR Panel 114. The APR Panel recommends that: Government should:  ratify all pending international instruments, including the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption;  issue the implementing decrees for all pending international legal instruments, especially those on child protection and the promotion and protection of women;  take all the necessary legislative and regulatory measures to ensure that national laws are consistent with the international standards and codes that Benin has ratified, and inform the public about these laws; and  ensure the timely submission of reports on the implementation of international instruments to organs of the UN. The National Assembly should accelerate the vote on the authorisations for the ratification of instruments submitted to it, while remaining vigilant about government’s commitments in terms of international agreements. The National Human Rights Consultative Council and civil society organisations should carry out informative campaigns about the instruments ratified, and should conduct civic education to facilitate the implementation of instruments that protect the rights of citizens. 66