CCPR/C/JPN/CO/5 page 2 (c) The approval by the Cabinet in 2005 of the Second Basic Plan for Gender Equality, which sets the objective that women shall occupy at least 30 per cent of leadership positions in all fields of society by 2020; (d) The establishment of a gender equality bureau, which promotes the Basic Plan for Gender Equality and coordinates basic policies for the development of a gender-equal society. 4. The Committee notes the measures taken by the State party to protect and assist victims of gender-based violence and exploitation, including domestic violence, sexual violence and trafficking in persons, such as the establishment of spousal violence counselling and support centres, women’s consulting offices and women’s protection facilities; the increase in the number of protection orders and the extension of their scope under the revised Act on the Prevention of Spousal Violence and the Protection of Victims; and the adoption in 2004 of a plan of action on measures to combat trafficking in persons and the establishment of an inter-ministerial liaison committee (task force) to combat trafficking. 5. The Committee welcomes the State party’s accession to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in 2007. C. Principal subjects of concern and recommendations 6. The Committee is concerned that many of its recommendations made after the consideration of the State party’s fourth periodic report have not been implemented. The State party should give effect to the recommendations adopted by the Committee in the present as well as in its previous concluding observations. 7. The Committee notes the absence of information on domestic court decisions, other than Supreme Court judgements finding no violation of the Covenant, which make direct reference to provisions of the Covenant (art. 2). The State party should ensure that the application and interpretation of the Covenant form part of the professional training for judges, prosecutors and lawyers and that information about the Covenant is disseminated at all levels of the judiciary, including the lower courts. 8. The Committee notes that one of the reasons why the State party has not ratified the first Optional Protocol to the Covenant is the concern that such ratification may give rise to problems with regard to its judicial system, including the independence of its judiciary. The State party should consider ratifying the Optional Protocol, taking into account the Committee’s consistent jurisprudence that it is not a fourth instance of appeal and that it is, in principle, precluded from reviewing the evaluation of facts and evidence or the application and interpretation of domestic legislation by national courts. 9. The Committee notes with concern that the State party has still not established an independent national human rights institution (art. 2).