E/C.12/1/Add.57 page 2 5. The Committee takes note with satisfaction of the establishment of institutions, such as the Fiscalías Especiales de Derechos Humanos, the Instituto Nacional de la Mujer, the Consejerías de la Familia and the Ombudsman, and the adoption of important laws in the field of human rights, such as the Ley de Igualdad de Oportunidades entre el Hombre y la Mujer, the Ley contra la Violencia Doméstica and the Ley sobre la Salud Reproductiva. 6. The Committee takes note with appreciation of the family subsidy programmes that are intended to benefit the poorest and most vulnerable groups of the population, in particular children under five years of age, pregnant women and nursing mothers, and elderly persons. 7. The Committee also notes with appreciation that the percentage of the national budget allocated to education has increased continuously in the period 1996-2001 (from 12.95 per cent to 22.76 per cent). 8. The Committee notes with satisfaction that during the period 1996-2000, 345 basic education centres were created in the 18 regions of the country. C. Factors and difficulties impeding the implementation of the Covenant 9. The Committee takes note that the efforts of the State party to comply with its obligations under the Covenant are impeded by the fact that it is classified as a highly indebted poor country and that up to 40 per cent of its annual national budget is allocated to foreign debt servicing. 10. The Committee also acknowledges that the structural adjustment policies in the State party have negatively affected the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights by the population, especially the vulnerable and marginalized groups of society. 11. The Committee notes that the serious problem of poverty in the State party has been aggravated by the devastating effects of hurricane Mitch in October 1998 on the infrastructure and productive sectors, and that the State party is still in the process of recovering. D. Principle subjects of concern 12. The Committee is concerned about the lack of adequate human rights training in the State party, in particular the rights guaranteed in the Covenant and in the Constitution, especially among the judiciary and other actors responsible for the implementation of the Covenant. 13. The Committee expresses its concern about the de facto inequality that exists between men and women in Honduran society - despite legislative guarantees of equality - which is particularly reflected in unequal wages for equal work, and the low-level of representation of women in public services and administration. 14. The Committee is concerned about the persisting discrimination against indigenous populations, especially in the field of employment, and the protection of traditional ancestral and agricultural lands.