E/C.12/CRI/CO/4 page 2 5. The Committee welcomes the recent entry into force of the Act Criminalising Violence Against Women, as well as the implementation of the Comprehensive Care Programme for Domestic Violence and the institutional measures adopted by the State party to offer social, legal and psychological redress to victims of this practice, including safety shelters. 6. The Committee welcomes achievements of the Costa Rican Electrical Institute (ICE) regarding the extent and quality of electrical and telecommunications coverage throughout the country, with 98 per cent of electrical energy coming from renewable resources. It also welcomes the measures undertaken by the State party to preserve its natural heritage and to address increasing threats to the country’s biodiversity, mainly deforestation, agricultural overexploitation of land and pollution of waters, in order to guarantee an adequate standard of living. 7. The Committee notes with satisfaction the State party’s efforts to promote further the cultural development for the indigenous population, including the creation of the Department of Indigenous Education in the Ministry of Education, which has contributed to the revival of indigenous languages, as well as the reflection of indigenous culture in school curricula and the adoption of programmes to promote bilingual education in the indigenous language and Spanish. 8. The Committee commends the incorporation of ethics, aesthetics and civics, as well as human rights education, in school curricula. 9. The Committee welcomes the high literacy rate (97 per cent of the population), as well as the sustained legislative, policy and institutional measures adopted by the State party to improve access to and the quality of education, particularly of indigenous communities. 10. The Committee welcomes the establishment of the National Commission on Indigenous Affairs (CONAI). C. Factors and difficulties impeding the implementation of the Covenant 11. The Committee notes the absence of any significant factors or difficulties preventing the effective implementation of the Covenant in the State party. D. Principal subjects of concern 12. The Committee notes that the State party has not provided enough case law to demonstrate that the provisions of the Covenant are consistently applied in practice, in spite of the fact that, according to article 7 of the Constitution of Costa Rica, international human rights treaties take precedence over domestic legislation, including constitutional provisions, and can be directly invoked in the courts. 13. The Committee notes with concern that racial discrimination is not criminalized as a specific offence and is only punished by a fine. 14. The Committee notes with concern that CONAI does not fully represent the interests of all indigenous populations.