A/72/165 51. The Special Rapporteur recognizes the country’s enhanced efforts to integrate Roma children into the education system, including the amendment of the Public Education Act, which introduced a mandatory two -year course before first grade with the aim of providing equal opportunities for children. Moreover, she welcomes measures directed at members of minority groups, including the adoption of a strategy for the educational integration of children and students fro m ethnic minority groups covering the period 2015-2020 and a corresponding action plan; the introduction in 2012 of a national programme known as “School without Absences” to reduce dropout rates; and the launch of an adult literacy programme. 52. The Special Rapporteur thanks Bulgaria for its detailed response on measures aimed at fostering the inclusion of Roma in the areas of housing, employment and health care and highlights the following programmes: the national programme for the improvement of the housing conditions of Roma, covering the period 2005 2015; the agreement on the social inclusion of Roma and other vulnerable groups signed under the cooperation programme between Bulgaria and Switzerland; the programme entitled “Activation of inactive persons” of the Employment Agency; and the programme entitled “Take your life in your own hands”, which is intended to reach long-term unemployed persons from vulnerable population groups. She notes that a position of “health mediator” was included in the natio nal classification of occupations and in 2014 the number of mediators increased to 150 in 79 target municipalities throughout the country. C. Canada 53. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the commitment of Canada to reinstating and modernizing the Court Challenges Program, in line with the recommendation made by the former mandate holder to review its abolishment in order to increase access to justice for Canadians of all backgrounds. 54. The Special Rapporteur further welcomes the information received on measures in the areas of labour market integration and education. She thanks Canada for highlighting some specific examples of promotion of equality in the education system by provincial and territorial governments in its response. Moreover, the Special Rapporteur is pleased to learn about the Government’s commitment to enhancing the representation of minorities in the political sphere and that, following the federal election in 2015, almost 17 per cent of ministers appointed to the Cabinet by the Prime Minister were persons belonging to minorities. Currently, there are 47 minority Members of Parliament and 10 members from indigenous communities, a record high for both groups. The Special Rapporteur commends the Government for establishing the Cabinet Committee on Diversity and Inclusion tasked with examining initiatives designed to strengthen the relationship with indigenous Canadians, improve the economic performance of immigrants and promote Canadian diversity, multiculturalism and linguistic duality. 55. With respect to measures to combat racial profiling, Canada recalled the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Human Rights Act, which prohibit such discrimination, and referred to the training of police officers as an important component of the application of the country’s human rights -based approach to public safety. She welcomes the fact that Canadian police, border and intelligence officers are taught about cultural diversity and undertaking their duties free from bias. 17-12138 13/22