education, health, the environment, economic development, support for small-scale enterprises and decentralization. From 2008 to 2010, it ensured the placement of 1,913 youths. 87. As part of the bilateral cooperation process, more than a hundred youths were awarded scholarships for technical and vocational training. Adopt a law aiming at criminalizing torture and Take measures to disseminate the Robben Islands Guidelines, particularly for the attention of Officers tasked with the application of the laws 88. Burkina Faso ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture on 7 July. 2010. A law on the prevention and crackdown on torture and related practices was adopted on 27 May, 2014. 89. The Convention against Torture and its Additional Protocol have been widely disseminated. Training activities are regularly organized by the Ministry of Human Rights for persons tasked with law enforcement (policemen, gendarmes, soldiers…) and health personnel to enable them to ensure that the laws and duties enshrined therein reflect in their everyday practices. Thus, from 2009 to 2011, 225 Officers of the Criminal Investigation Department received training on subjects relating to the Convention against torture. Conferences on the Convention are also organized every year at the National Police Academy, National Active Non-Commissioned Officers’ Academy, National Non-Commissioned Gendarmerie Officers’ Academy and the Georges Namoano Military Academy. From 2010 to 2012, these conferences were organized for 120 army officer-cadets, 300 non-commissioned officers, 2,700 police cadets and 600 gendarmerie cadets. Furthermore, training for the empowerment of health officers in the area of the fight against torture was organized for 50 health officers in July, 2012. In December, 2013, about a hundred officers of the defence and security forces received training on subjects relating to the Convention against Torture and the Robben Island Guidelines. Implement accompanying measures of the law on quota in order to increase the rate of representation of women in decision-making bodies 90. Actions have been taken as part of the implementation of the law on the institution of a quota for parliamentary and municipal elections. These actions are basically centred on the information and sensitization of the political stakeholders and the people. The details have been presented in the second part of this report dealing with the implementation of the Maputo Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa. Ensure an effective implementation of the law on female genital mutilation and strengthen measures aimed at eradicating the practice of excision 91. A national council to combat the practice of excision has been introduced (Decree No. 1162011/PRES/PM/MASSN of 2 February, 2011). Sensitization activities involving traditional and religious leaders are being conducted against this phenomenon throughout the country. To facilitate the exposure of violence against children, a toll-free number, 116, has been established at the Ministry of Social Welfare and National Solidarity. The Regional Social Welfare and National Solidarity Directorate of the Centre recorded 157 exposed cases of violence from September, 2011 to April, 2012. 26