Code contained a set of wide-ranging and practical requirements for the protection of children. One of its aims was to ensure that all young people who had committed offences but were too young to face charges were housed in institutions, separate from adults. Since child labour was still a very serious problem in Colombia, the Code also sought to introduce stricter provisions and adapt State institutions so as to ensure effective monitoring of the child labour situation. Procedures were laid down for dealing with cases of minors ill-treated by their parents or guardians and adoption was carefully regulated in the light of many years' experience of fraudulent adoption by foreigners• Although rigorous investigations had been conducted into reports of trafficking in children's organs, not a single victim or confirmed case had been found, 382, Responding to questions raised in connection with article 27 of the Covenant, the representative of the State party noted that article 7 of the Constitution guaranteed the ethnic and cultural diversity of the nation and that article 70 stressed that all cultures had equal status and dignity before the law. Languages other than Spanish were considered official in the areas where they were spoken. The Constitution recognized the inalienable right of indigenous peoples to certain lands, which had been accorded the status of self-governing territorial entities. The State was required to invest a certain amount in those entities with a view to improving the living conditions of their people, who had full control of such funds. Any natural resources in the entities could be developed only with the consent and participation of the community. Encouragement was given to forms of education which sought to respect and develop the cultural identity of ethnic groups and efforts were being made to safeguard the electoral rights of minorities and improve their representation in Congress. Minorities would also be entitled under article 246 of the new Constitution to establish special jurisdictions within their territories and provision had been made for the protection of bio-diversity and of flora and fauna in the Amazon and other regions. During the five preceding years, the State had recognized the collective ownership by indigenous communities of approximately 15 million hectares of land in the Amazon region and, consequently, the influx of business and individuals seeking to acquire property in the region for development had been curbed. 383, While Colombia's Black community was not protected to the same extent as the indigenous population, the provision under article 63 o£ the Constitution regarding the inalienability of the communal lands of ethnic groups afforded protection for members of the Black community living in areas of communal land ownership. Concluding observations by individual members 384, Members of the Committee expressed their thanks to the representatives of the State party for their cooperation in presenting the third periodic report of Colombia and for having engaged in a very fruitful and constructive dialogue with the Committee. The report had been prepared in conformity with the Committee's guidelines, providing information about factors and difficulties affecting the implementation of the Covenant. It was clear that progress had been made in the area of safeguarding human rights since the submission of the second periodic report. The constitutional reform as well as the establishment of several bodies, such as the Office of the Presidential Adviser for the Defence, Protection and Promotion of Human Eights and the -91-