CRC/C/MMR/CO/3-4 Training 27. The Committee is concerned that awareness of the Convention remains limited among service providers working with and for children, including in the education, health, social welfare, justice and security sectors, juvenile facilities and in all forms of alternative care. 28. The Committee recommends that all professional groups working for and with children be adequately and systematically trained on children’s rights, in particular judges, lawyers, the police and the army, health personnel, social workers, teachers and personnel working in all forms of alternative care. Cooperation with civil society 29. While noting the recent progress made in cooperation with the civil society, the Committee is concerned that civil society participation, and in particular children’s participation, remains limited in the formulation of policies and programmes. The Committee is also concerned that insufficient efforts have been made to involve civil society in the implementation of the Convention and that a high level of distrust between civil society and the Government remains. In addition, the Committee expresses its concern about reports that individuals and organizations are punished for carrying out human rights education and engaging with the international human rights mechanisms. 30. The Committee strongly urges the State party to: (a) Facilitate the participation of civil society organizations and children in all aspects of implementation of the Convention, including policy and programme development, monitoring and evaluation; (b) Take concrete steps to give legitimate recognition to human rights defenders and their work and to facilitate that work, including those defenders who report child rights violations for appropriate State party action and ensure that nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) can safely carry out their functions, including in remote and border areas, in a manner consistent with the principles of a democratic society; and (c) Promptly put an end to the repression of human rights defenders, including those carrying out human rights education and ensure that no one is detained in relation to their legitimate and peaceful activities in defence of human rights. International cooperation 31. Notwithstanding recent positive political developments in the State party, the Committee remains concerned that limited international assistance for the realization of child rights has been provided as a result of, among others, the lack of improvement of the human rights situation in the country. 32. The Committee encourages the State party to make all necessary efforts to improve the human rights situation in the country, including using its resources to the greatest extent for the realization of child rights, thus providing the basis for increased international cooperation. B. Definition of the child (art. 1 of the Convention) 33. While noting the existence of a draft amendment to the Child Law raising the age of a child, the Committee is concerned about the current distinction between a child (up to the 6