A/HRC/7/23/Add.2 page 19 61. On several occasions, the independent expert was informed by members of ethnic and religious minorities that they had experienced severe problems in finding employment in the police service despite having passed the qualifications and that discrimination remains commonplace within the police force. As a community representative in a Marseilles suburb noted: “It is hard to convince young people to do competitive examinations when they say ‘show us the examples of those who have succeeded’ and there are none.” A case filed before HALDE shortly after the independent expert’s visit focused media attention on issues of discrimination within the police service. A policeman of Moroccan heritage charged that he was asked racist questions in his interview for the officers’ competition, such as “Does your wife wear the veil?”16 62. Some proposed initiatives seeking to counter discrimination on the grounds of name or address, such as anonymous application forms, continue to be debated and have met with support in some ministries. A system of urban tax-free zones has also been created and will be extended by the Government to assist in bringing investment and employers to particular areas of high unemployment. Of course, relocating industries to ghetto areas must go hand in hand with requirements or incentives to hire local residents. 63. Some companies are taking the lead in promoting diversity in the workplace through internal equality and non-discrimination policies. Since October 2004, heads of 60 companies with operations in France, including Airbus, IBM and Total, have signed a “Charter on Diversity” to promote non-discrimination, employment opportunities and promotion of minorities. Lack of statistical data continues to hamper evaluation of progress and the outcome of this and other initiatives. HALDE notes that it has worked to encourage companies to adopt more transparent internal staffing and recruitment practices. Practices such as “legacy hiring” and recruitment based on social networks are commonplace in certain sectors of the French labour market. By their nature, hiring practices that are not merit-based or transparent work to exclude minorities. C. Education 64. The independent expert notes the high priority given to issues of education within France as well as French legislation and public policy, as demonstrated in the Government’s country reports to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Committee on the Rights of the Child. However, she remains concerned that a reliance on current approaches to tackling discrimination issues fails to fully address the specific situations facing families and children from particular ethnic, religious and linguistic communities. 65. Disproportionate dropout rates were highlighted as a serious issue facing those belonging to minority communities. The Government has sought to address such issues via training, career advice and vocational initiatives, in particular via Law No. 2006-396 of 31 March 2006 on equal 16 http://reverso.nouvelobs.com/url/result.asp?url=http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/actualites/ societe/20071206.OBS8586/un_policier_saisit_la_halde_pour_discrimination_au_conc.html &autotranslate=on&template=General&directions=65544.