A/HRC/23/56/Add.1 of Discrimination in 2009. Act No. 139 of 14 June 2011 declared 24 May the “National Day against Racism and All Forms of Discrimination”. 18. In February 2009, the Vice-Ministry of Decolonization was created as a part of the Ministry of Cultures, with the tasks of (a) coordinating the implementation of programmes and projects of decolonization; (b) implementing policies and actions to reassess ancestral knowledge of native indigenous peasants, nations and peoples, Bolivians of African descent and intercultural communities; (c) encouraging the elimination of practices based on patriarchal, racist and bureaucratic patterns; (d) developing policies for the prevention and eradication of racism and cultural intolerance; (e) promoting interculturalism; and (f) implementing training programmes in the official languages of the Plurinational State. 19. The National Committee against Racism and All Forms of Discrimination was established in 2011 under Law No. 045 to prepare an assessment for a national plan of action against racism and all forms of discrimination, as well as to monitor and follow up on claims of acts of racism and discrimination. The Committee also focuses on awarenessraising activities, for instance by preparing media programmes and messages to promote social tolerance. Its membership includes 61 institutions, such as State institutions at various levels, indigenous and Afro-Bolivian organizations, and various civil society organizations. 20. The Office of the Ombudsman was first set up in 1994. It was then re-established under the Constitution of 2009 to protect and promote the human rights enshrined in the Constitution, relevant laws and international instruments. Its mandate also applies to the rights of native indigenous peoples, inter-urban communities and Bolivians abroad. The Ombudsman is tasked with a broad range of duties, including dealing with complaints; investigating and reporting on incidents of abuses by State authorities upon a complaint or on the Office’s own initiative; requesting information from State authorities to carry out its investigations and issuing recommendations, including modifications to the laws, decrees and non-judicial resolutions; promoting equal opportunities and non-discrimination against women and indigenous peoples; and informing and educating the general public in understanding and exercising their rights. The Special Rapporteur was informed that, thanks to its credibility and presence throughout all nine departments of the country, the Office of the Ombudsman probably receives the highest number of complaints when compared with other complaint-receiving mechanisms. 21. In December 2011, the National Committee against Racism and All Forms of Discrimination adopted a preliminary draft of the plan of action against racism and all forms of discrimination in accordance with the Law No. 045, and entrusted its Permanent Council with the further elaboration of the plan of action following the observations received from public entities and other civil society actors. The plan of action is based upon an assessment conducted in 2010 and 2011 on the current situation of racism and discrimination in Bolivia, prepared with the participation of a broad spectrum of public and civil society actors and stakeholders. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the elaboration and the initial approval of the plan of action, and commends the participatory process through which such an assessment was done. The plan of action defines a long-term vision of Bolivia as a country grounded on social justice and dignity, while setting out key strategic objectives in the fight against racism and discrimination for the period 2012 - 2015. In terms of its legal framework, the plan of action incorporates legal mandates provided under the new constitutional framework, and the principles and scopes of operation set forth in the Law No. 045. It also incorporates international human rights instruments, norms and standards. 22. On 15 February 2012, the Permanent Council of the National Committee against Racism and All Forms of Discrimination approved the plan of action, and has since held technical meetings with ministries to allow coordinated implementation of the 17 6