    the Department of Penitentiary Administration and Social Assistance (DAPAS) responsible for the administration of prisons, involved in the custody of minors and in actions for the benefit of mothers imprisoned with their children; the Directorate of Civil and Criminal Affairs (DACP) which manages the functioning of the courts under the supervision of the Secretary General of the Ministry the Directorate on Human Rights (DDH) responsible for defining, implementing and coordinating the national policy for the promotion and protection of human rights. The National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC) It should be noted that the government created by Decree No. 99-559 of 22 November 1999 the National Commission on the Rights of the Child whose role is to promote the Rights of the Child and ensure the safeguarding of its special interests through the implementation of the CRC. This multisectoral commission is chaired by the Minister of Justice.  The Ministry of Interior, Public Security and Religious Affairs 12. It is responsible for the national security and has a number of structures in charge of providing justice services. These include the Central Office in charge of Protecting Minors and Family and Combating Human Trafficking (OCPMFRTEH) established in Cotonou but having a national competence; it also has a transit center for child victims or those under investigation. Other structures include police stations and gendarmerie brigades (made available to the Ministry of the Interior) spread throughout the country and involving judicial police officers (OPJ), who are responsible for judicial investigations. The General Directorate of Vital Records (DGEC).  The Ministry of Health 13. It is responsible for the implementation of the National Health Policy and is involved, through its Directorate of Maternal and Child Health, in matters related to maternal and newborn health, family planning, nutrition as well as youth and adolescent health issues.  The Ministry of Pre-school and Primary Education 14. It comprises two levels of education, namely the pre-school and primary education. The aim of pre-school education is essentially to awaken and stimulate the physical, psychological and mental functions of the child. Private kindergartens but also community-based preschool learning centers are created under its supervision. If preschool education is optional, primary education is compulsory.  Ministry of Secondary Education in charge of Technical and Vocational Education, Retraining and Inclusion of Youths 15. This ministry is in charge of general education and other specific forms of education which prepare young people for professional integration. It includes the Directorate of training and professional qualification that supports the reintegration of children in difficult situations through educational offers. The Accelerated Educational Alternative is also applied, as a system that consists in training during three years, children that are excluded from the formal system.