Victims appearing before this Commission must be treated with sensitivity and respect and be given protection against reprisals. There is need for a proper gender balance on this Commission and particular attention must be paid to the special needs of women and children victims. The government formed after the transition must commit itself to co-operate with and to support the activities of this Commission, and must give an unequivocal undertaking to implement its recommendations wherever possible. The participants called for the conducting of a comprehensive people driven constitutional reform exercise that will lay emphasis on the protection of all human rights and the establishment of a number of Commissions to protect and promote these human rights. There should be special Commissions to deal with land, gender issues and economic crimes such as corruption, asset stripping and debts incurred by previous governments in connection with human rights abuses. The mandate of the Commission on economic crimes should include: · referral of cases to the Attorney-General for possible prosecution; · in conjunction with other appropriate state agencies, taking of vigorous steps to recover misappropriated state assets: · imposition of financial penalties upon those who were financial beneficiaries of human rights abuses. xii

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