of violence or torture or commits an act of barbarity against persons, they shall be punished in accordance with the nature and seriousness of that violence and the penalty increased accordingly”. 75. Regulatory and administrative measures have led to the establishment of bodies such as human rights units within the police force and Gendarmerie. 76. There are regular efforts to promote and teach values concerning the prohibition of torture and inhuman treatment among the public in general and the security forces in particular. The security forces are now a major partner in efforts to promote and protect human rights. 77. There has been a steady increase in information available to the public in recent years on the need to respect the dignity of the person, thanks to the deeper involvement of civil society and the media. While not referring specifically to the prohibition against torture and other cruel treatment, pertinent information to promote the rights of women and children has been distributed to the entire population during awareness-raising campaigns mounted by ministerial departments and NGOs. 78. The Criminal Code punishes acts of torture and barbarity and violence leading to mutilation, amputation or any other impairment resulting in partial or permanent disability. Criminal legislation, which also prohibits slavery and slavery-like practices, is complemented by the Labour Code, which bans forced labour. 79. Act No. 210/AN/07/5th L on combating trafficking in human beings was promulgated in an effort to adapt domestic legislation to regional realities. The Act is intended primarily to protect the most vulnerable groups (women, children and persons with disabilities). 80. In Djibouti, forced labour is defined as any work or service exacted from an individual under physical and/or mental duress and for which they have not offered themselves voluntarily. It is thus prohibited to use forced labour under article 2 of Labour Code No. 133/AN/05/5 th L. Although the Code makes limited exceptions to this rule, they are strictly circumscribed by law. Thus the following may not be considered to be forced or compulsory labour: - Any work or service exacted by virtue of compulsory military service laws for work of a purely military character; - Any work or service in the public interest as defined by the laws on civic obligations; - Any work or service exacted from any person as a consequence of a conviction in a court of law, provided that the said work or service is carried out under the supervision and control of a public authority and that the said person is not hired to or placed at the disposal of private individuals, companies or private legal entities; - Any work or service exacted in cases of emergency, that is to say, in the event of war or of a calamity or threatened calamity, such as fire, flood, famine, earthquake, violent epidemic or epizootic diseases, invasion by animal, insect or vegetable pests, and in general any 21