E/CN.A/1992/52 page 165 general public, especially in the social sphere. Alternative service may also encompass charitable activities, civil defence, work in the development or environment field, or relief service abroad. In most countries, the length of the alternative service is longer than the armed military service and may amount to twice its duration. 134. In its reply to the questionnaire, the Government of Norway indicated that persons exempted from military service on the basis of their religious convictions must perform compulsory civilian service. The reply of the Government of Sweden indicates that 95 per cent of persons applying for conscientious objector status for religious reasons are granted permission to do non-combatant service. If a person's religious convictions also bar him from performing non-combatant service, the Government or a competent authority may decide to exempt him entirely or for a certain period. The Enrolment Board of the Armed Forces may not enforce military service on a conscript who is a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses. 135. In its response, the Government of Israel stated that complete exemption from military service was at present granted only to women who could prove that for reasons of conscience or religious family lifestyle they were prevented from serving in the military. In Portugal, exemption from military service on the basis of conscientious objection may be obtained in times of both war and peace and the type of civilian service performed is selected in accordance with the conscript's preferences. The reply of the Government of the United States of America stated that the United States Supreme Court "has held that the statutory exemption from military service applies to all persons who are opposed to war in any form on the basis of beliefs which are the functional equivalent of a theistic religious belief". 136. Among the countries which do not permit conscientious objection to military service, the enforcement of relevant laws is not applied with the same severity. Exceptions are usually made with regard to persons belonging to or training for certain religious professions, or persons whose faith does not allow them to bear arms. 137. In its reply to the questionnaire, the Government of Chile indicated that the State had agreed unofficially that Jehovah's Witnesses did not have to perform military service, and that "persons training to become priests, preachers or ministers in the various churches are exempt". The Government of Cuba stated that persons belonging to certain religious communities who object to bearing arms and firing weapons are employed during their military service as drivers, stretcher bearers, cooks and the like. The Government underlined, however, that such practice did not mean that their requests to be exempted from military service on grounds of conscientious objection were recognized. Although a conscript may not be exempted from military service on the basis of his religious beliefs in Switzerland, the Government indicated that persons "who would experience a serious conflict of conscience by the use of a weapon because of their religious or moral beliefs may perform service without weapons". Nevertheless, conscientious objection continues to be an offence. The reply of the Government of Uruguay indicated that the legal provisions concerning compulsory military training "have fallen into disuse because they have not been applied for over 40 years", thus reducing the likelihood of cases of conscientious objection.