E/CN.4/2005/18/Add.5 page 7 9. In 1998, the Honduran people were hard hit by Hurricane Mitch, which left 6,500 people dead and 13,000 unaccounted for and destroyed a good deal of the country’s infrastructure and agricultural resources, and they expect their Government to alleviate their economic and social problems through a development policy centred on the needs of the poorest. II. POLITICAL AND LEGAL STRATEGY AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK A. Legislative provisions and institutional framework 10. Progress in democracy and the rule of law in Honduras is reflected in the adoption of laws and the establishment of institutions to protect human rights. Article 60 of the Constitution recognizes that all men are born free and equal in rights. It also guarantees the specific rights of indigenous peoples (arts. 173 and 346). 11. In 1992, under title III of the Constitution, which sets forth the rights and freedoms of the individual, Congress established the post of human rights commissioner. The National Commissioner for Human Rights is elected by Congress for a six-year term, which gives the office-holder a great deal of independence. The Commissioner ensures that legislation is in conformity with the international commitments entered into by Honduras in the field of human rights, and, in particular, that official acts are in conformity with the international human rights instruments. He or she also prepares programmes for the promotion of human rights and is responsible for dealing with complaints from individuals about human rights violations by State officials. A telephone line has been set up to deal with such complaints. The Commissioner has 15 departmental and regional offices covering the 18 regions of the country. B. Measures to combat racial discrimination 12. In Decree-Law 330-2002, Congress proclaimed the month of April “African Heritage Month”. The celebration of this month gives rise every year to cultural events that pay tribute to the Garifuna living in Honduras, and gives this community an opportunity to put forward its economic, cultural, political and social demands. 13. Action by the Government to combat racism and racial discrimination is of more recent date. With the support of the World Bank, and in cooperation with the population groups concerned, the Government produced a report in 2002 entitled “Perfil de los pueblos indígenas y negros de Honduras” (“Profile of the indigenous and black population groups in Honduras”)5 in order to better respond to their economic, political and cultural needs and to implement development programmes to improve their living conditions. The Government has thus recognized that these groups have been marginalized and that special attention needs to be paid to them. The report stresses that indigenous and black people in Honduras have for a long time been kept in a situation where they are politically and socially “invisible”. This situation is accounted for by the stereotypes and prejudices that, over time, have been built up in their regard. One of the most common stereotypes portrays them as inferior because of considerable cultural differences with the dominant Ladino group. The report also shows how the Honduran State was built by excluding indigenous and black people from political and economic power and from decision-making processes. The aim of the report is thus to gradually change this situation, particularly by making others more aware of the cultures of indigenous and black