Non-discrimination, equality of the sexes, protection of family and children and rights of persons belonging to minorities 378. With reference to that issue, members of the Committee wished to receive information on the effectiveness to date of the various programmes and policies designed to achieve equality between men ancl women; on the activities and accomplishments to date of the Presidential Adviser for Young People, Women and the Family; on the impact of the entry into force of the Minors' Code on the enjoyment by children of their rights under article 24 of the Covenant; on measures taken to address the needs of minors in "anomalous" situations; on the law and practice relating to the employment of minors; on any factors or difficulties hampering the implementation and enjoyment of the rights under article 27 of the Covenant; on measures taken by the Indigenous Affairs Division, the National Committee for Aboriginal Languages or any other governmental bodies to assist in maintaining native cultural traditions or languages in various regions of the country; on any measures envisaged for the protection of minorities, such as the establishment of a Presidential Adviser on Minority Affairs; on measures envisaged by the Special Commission on Amazon Indian Affairs to overcome the ecological deterioration of the area in the Amazon region; and on representation of minority groups in the Constituent Assembly. 379. In addition, they wished to know whether provision had been made for sanctioning parents who mistreated their children; whether Colombia had been confronted with the problem of fraudulent adoption of minors by foreign couples; whether there had been any instances of children being abducted with a view to selling their organs; what measures had been taken to deal with the problem of street children; and whether Colombia had encountered any problems in reconciling development of its oil reserves with the maintenance of a balanced ecosystem. Information was also sought about tensions that seemed to exist in certain areas between the indigenous population and the Black community and about the special jurisdictions where ethnic minorities were authorized to apply their own norms. 380. In his reply, the representative of the State party said that the various programmes and policies designed to enhance the role of women had been very successful. Equal access to education had now been achieved in elementary and secondary schools, as well as in the universities, and women were increasingly represented in senior posts in both the public and private sectors and in political life. Although substantial progress had been achieved and discrimination outlawed in nearly all sectors, much remained to be done, particularly with regard to equal pay, better child-care arrangements and improved training for women. The Office of the Presidential Adviser for Young People, Women and the Family had been established in 1991 to organize group activities for young people, including anti-drug education, as well as cultural and recreational programmes. It had also helped to set up children's homes which catered to more than 1 million children in need. During the 1960s, a time of heavy migration, street children had been a serious problem, but better living conditions and lower birth rates had helped to alleviate the situation. In recent years, such children were mostly those who had run away because of ill-treatment or conflict at home. 381. The Minors' Code had been drawn up in 1990 and attempted to embody the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Eights of the Child. The -90-