A/HRC/17/38/Add.1 43. The Federal Attorney General's Office for Citizens' Rights was established under the Office of the Attorney-General and may intervene in all public-interest litigation and cases. It is entrusted with ensuring and aligning practices with Constitutional provisions, and tasked with protecting citizens’ rights, including cultural rights, and ensuring that elections are carried out as provided for, through public policies at federal, state and municipal levels, and advocating citizens’ rights, including in penal and criminal matters. It also works to ensure that all State institutions comply with ILO convention No. 169. The Federal Attorney General’s Office may also, in some cases, intervene on relevant matters, along with the Federal Public Prosecution, particularly through the conduct adjustment terms (usually referred as protocols), which are signed and executed by the parties (individuals and public or private institutions) that have violated cultural rights. The Brazilian Federal Public Prosecution and Public Secretariats at the State level and, along with the Regional Citizenship Rights Office and officers, receive and act on complaints, for example, by acting as plaintiff in complaints filed or, in the absence of enabling legislation, by using the writ of mandamus to ensure compliance with constitutional provisions. Other actions include holding public hearings, asking authorities for clarifications on complaints received, as well as issuing notices and submitting recommendations to concerned authorities. The Citizenship Rights Office has a special chamber on cultural heritage (PPFDC) to preserve the culture of different peoples, and it runs a radio programme in partnership with the Chamber of Representatives to ensure compliance with Constitutional provisions and regulations (Federal Constitution, article 221). 44. The Office for Citizens' Rights has taken up several issues related to cultural rights, such as filing a public lawsuit to revise the basis of taxation of musicians, ensuring the withdrawal of objectionable printed materials, running radio programmes regarding specific cultural communities, and submitting a recommendation to the Ministry of Culture to guarantee access for people with hearing disabilities. It is currently reviewing compliance with Law 10.639. The activities and outcome of actions, including legal cases, are reported on its website. Unfortunately, the work of the Office for Citizens’ Rights is not well known, which suggests the need to promote awareness in accessible formats and languages. 45. The Secretariat of Policies for the Promotion of Racial Equality (SEPPIR), established in 2003, promotes equality and protection of the rights of persons belonging to ethnic or racial groups who are subjected to discrimination and other forms of intolerance, with a special focus on persons of African descent. SEPPIR coordinates the promotion of racial equality as a cross-cutting inter-ministerial and inter-agency issue; coordinates, promotes, and follows up on the implementation of public and private partnership programs at both national and international levels; monitors the implementation of international obligations of Brazil in this area; and assists the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding policies to approach African States. A number of stakeholders indicated that enhanced human, financial and material resources would enable SEPPIR to carry out its important mandate more effectively. 46. The Palmares Foundation11 is a public institution created in 1988 by the Ministry of Culture. It is mandated to formulate, promote and implement programmes and projects which recognize, preserve and promote the contribution of African cultures to Brazilian society. Its areas of intervention include supporting projects related to Afro-Brazilian cultural identity and heritage; raising awareness to combat religious intolerance through seminars at the State level and by providing financial and technical support to implement stakeholders’ actions to combat religious intolerance. It is also developing the necessary 11 Law 7.668 of 1988. 11