Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Sixty-sixth session

30 September–18 October 2019

Item 6 (a) of the provisional agenda

Consideration of reports: reports submitted by States parties in accordance with articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant

List of issues in relation to the fourth periodic report of Ecuador

Addendum

Replies of Ecuador to the list of issues *

[Date received: 28 August 2019]

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 1 of the list of issues

1.Members of the public were included in the preparation of the National Development Plan (“Lifetime Plan”) by means of three mechanisms for their participation:

•12 forums, attended by 3,557 participants.

•23 national dialogues concerning 180 themes and involving 25,112 participants and 6,024 organizations. A total of 5,065 proposals were received in 4 categories: (1) public policy proposals; (2) proposals for action by ministries; (3) proposals in the area of legislation; and (4) proposals for other branches or levels of government.

•The Plan Para Todos (A plan for everyone) web page, used for the systematization of 1,356 national and international contributions.

2.In addition, 7,038 contributions were received from decentralized autonomous governments, other branches of government and national equality councils.

3.The National Development Plan has been established with a view to contributing to the progressive realization of economic, social and cultural rights on the basis of three main thematic components:

•Lifetime rights for all

•An economy at the service of society

•More society, a better State.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 2 of the list of issues

4.Decision No. 148-12-SEP-CC concerned the case of Pablo Macario Pucha Poveda and María Eufemia Ronquillo, aged 81 and 77 years, respectively, who had brought a lawsuit against Mr. Héctor Lara because the construction of a five-storey building adjacent to their home had caused its subsidence and destruction. The building erected by Mr. Lara did not comply with the corresponding municipal permits, and the required geotechnical surveys had not been carried out. The ordinary courts having ruled in favour of Mr. Lara, they filed an application for a special protective remedy with the Constitutional Court against the judgment issued by the Civil Division of the National Court of Justice, claiming the violation of their rights to housing, to physical integrity and to a decent life.

5.The Constitutional Court found, in accordance with the Covenant, that everyone has the right to adequate and decent housing, regardless of their economic and social situation, and cited the Committee’s general comment No. 4 on the right to adequate housing, which states: “1. Pursuant to article 11 (1) of the Covenant, States parties ‘recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions.’”

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 3 of the list of issues

6.The Government has taken the following steps:

•Issuance of guidelines on the protection of persons who safeguard the rights of nature.

•Issuance of standards for the promotion and protection of defenders of human rights and nature in order to establish the various actions that may be taken by the Ombudsman’s Office, the coordination of those actions to be performed by the Office’s general directorates for protection, education and research and public policy, and the manner in which they are to be implemented by units empowered to promote and protect human rights and nature.

•Establishment of a council of defenders of human rights and nature, composed of persons with experience in prevention and in the promotion and defence of human rights and nature, as a mechanism for the active and effective participation of civil society. The aim is to allow human rights defenders to carry out their activities freely; not to hinder them in their activities and to remove obstacles to their work; to prevent acts intended to discourage or criminalize their work; to protect them if they are at risk; to investigate and shed light on crimes committed against them with a view to the prosecution and punishment of perpetrators; and to ensure that comprehensive redress, on a basis of full independence and impartiality, is forthcoming.

7.Furthermore, the Office of the Attorney General of the State, which administers the National System of Protection and Assistance to Victims, Witnesses and Other Participants in Criminal Proceedings, ensures that any person, including human rights defenders, environmental defenders and defenders of indigenous, Afro-Ecuadorian and Montubio peoples, may apply for admission to the National System in cases of:

•Substantiated presumption of a threat to the applicant’s physical, psychological, moral or sexual integrity, or the integrity of his or her property, as a result of his or her participation in criminal proceedings

•Membership in a group requiring special consideration

•Active participation in criminal proceedings

•Social disturbances caused by reports of a crime

•Psychological vulnerability

•Social vulnerability

•Consequences of a reported crime for the applicant’s welfare.

8.Finally, the Secretariat for Human Rights has resumed work on the formulation of a comprehensive policy on the promotion and protection of defenders of human rights and nature. The four key components of this policy are to be: the promotion of rights; the prevention of violence; the protection and safeguarding of rights; and investigation, prosecution and punishment.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 4 of the list of issues

9.In fulfilment of its obligations under the Paris Agreement, in March 2019 Ecuador submitted its first nationally determined contribution under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The nationally determined contribution includes the actions, plans, projects and measures adopted by Ecuador to mitigate and adapt to climate change:

Mitigation component in the unconditional scenario

10.Action lines:

•Promote the use of renewable energy

•Strengthen energy efficiency and changes in consumer behaviour

•Foster and implement sustainable mobility.

11.Initiatives:

•Development of hydropower stations

•The Optimization of Power Generation and Energy Efficiency Programme

•Promotion of non-conventional renewable energy sources (wind, solar and landfill biogas)

•The Efficient Cooking Programme (induction stoves).

Mitigation component in the conditional scenario

12.Action lines:

•Adopt, reformulate and update regulations to promote sustainable energy use and energy efficiency in an inclusive manner in all subsectors

•Develop and implement safe and sustainable modes of transport

•Promote the development and use of renewable energy while ensuring its full accessibility

•Promote energy savings and efficiency and a change in consumer behaviour

•Promote research leading to the implementation of energy solutions while reducing the gender gap.

Adaptation component in the conditional scenario

13.At the macro level:

•Inclusion of the climate variable in public policies and in risk management and sectoral planning tools.

•Climate risk reduction in oil and mining industry value chains and in power generation, transmission, distribution and marketing infrastructure through the development of sector-specific climate risk and vulnerability assessments that will serve as a basis for the identification, proposal and implementation of measures to promote adaptation to the effects of climate variability and climate change.

14.At the operational level:

•Production of climate risk and vulnerability assessments for road infrastructure to serve as a basis for the identification, proposal and implementation of measures to promote adaptation to the effects of climatic variability and climate change in the design, construction, operation and maintenance phases of road infrastructure projects.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 5 of the list of issues

15.Ecuador has quarterly and multi-year (2019–2021) targets for the indicator “central government social spending floor”. These targets are tied in with the country’s macroeconomic and social programme. The Prosperity Plan, which is the main pillar of that programme, incorporates several components designed to fortify the dollarization regime:

•Restoring a prudent fiscal policy

•Strengthening the institutional framework of the Central Bank of Ecuador

•Increasing the resilience of the financial system

•Boosting competitiveness, growth and job creation

•Promoting shared prosperity and protecting the poor and the vulnerable

•Improving transparency and good governance.

16.As part of the Prosperity Plan, the Government undertakes to manage public finances in an orderly and transparent manner and to ensure that reliable and efficient regulations are in place that will allow it to attract foreign investment. It also commits to replenishing the reserves of the Central Bank of Ecuador to keep the dollarization regime on a sound and sustainable footing.

17.The Prosperity Plan sets out 11 reforms:

•Downsizing of the State

•Reduction of excessive spending

•Transparency in public procurement

•Optimization of the operations of State-owned enterprises

•Continued investment in infrastructure and other development projects using State resources and private investment based on the public-private partnership model in 2018–2021

•Strengthening of central bank reserves

•Stable and predictable access to external financing offered on better repayment terms and at lower interest rates

•Responsible use of natural resources in ways that will generate greater revenues

•Efficient and equitable fuel subsidies targeted at those who actually need them

•Updating of premium-grade petrol prices

•Optimization of diesel subsidies for the business sector using a smart strategy to avoid losses in competitiveness and jobs.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 6 of the list of issues

18.The aim of promoting open government has been translated into concrete action with the announcement that Ecuador intends to join the Open Government Partnership. A core group composed of three civil society organizations, three academic institutions and four governmental bodies and advised by a consultant from the Inter-American Development Bank is responsible for the coordination, implementation and monitoring of the first Open Government Action Plan of Ecuador 2019–2021. Future action lines include:

•Innovation in public participation, transparency and anti-corruption systems

•The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

•Open contracting standards

•The Infrastructure Transparency Initiative

•Ratification of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (the Escazú Agreement)

•Transparency of information on the environment, energy, poverty, health, public procurement and road safety

•Streamlining of priority procedures and processes, and upgrading of the public portal for contacting government agencies

•Co-development of an open data policy and tools for its implementation, and improvement of the open data platform

•Co-development of public policies on combating violence based on gender, sexual diversity and all its expressions and on food security and sovereignty

•Co-development of a strategy for reducing inequalities and discrimination affecting people of African descent.

19.In addition, executive branch institutions are subject to monitoring and follow-up on an ongoing basis and receive support and advisory services to ensure their accountability.

20.The following steps have been taken in support of transparency and open government:

•Under the Model for Transparent, Participatory Local Administrative Units, transparency brigades have supported the implementation of activities and the delivery of outputs relating to the promotion, monitoring, assessment and the strengthening of transparency of decentralized autonomous governments and the creation of feedback loops in that connection

•Complaints boxes have been installed in various State institutions to foster a culture of transparency and to combat corruption in the civil service

•A national system has been established to strengthen and implement measures for the prevention, detection and punishment of corruption with a view to increasing transparency and reducing impunity.

21.The following mechanisms have been established to support ongoing public oversight and accountability:

•A public oversight group

•A public service users’ committee

•A public observatory

•Community ombudsmen (technical support).

22.In March 2018, a mandate for the evaluation of the performance of authorities appointed by the Council for Public Participation and Oversight was adopted, and the performance of a number of institutions and holders of high office was evaluated on the basis of complaints received from members of the public.

23.As a result, 27 senior officials were relieved of their duties, and the Transitional Council for Public Participation and Oversight proceeded to appoint new officials to replace those who had been dismissed.

24.Furthermore, the transparency and public oversight branch of government has launched the National Public Integrity and Anti-Corruption Plan 2019–2023 with the aim of working towards three strategic objectives:

•To promote integrity in the civil service and in private agencies entrusted with public resources

•To strengthen the various ways in which citizen action groups are organized in order to ensure they can influence public affairs

•To strengthen public and private inter-institutional cooperation and coordination of initiatives and activities aimed at preventing and combating corruption.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 7 of the list of issues

25.The Government conducts prior consultations with the main objective of ensuring that the members of the public are able to participate in decision-making and have access to truthful and timely information on the plan or programme to be developed. To this end, the views and observations of indigenous communities, peoples and nationalities are taken into account so that the areas or production blocks to be put up for tender are developed appropriately, in an environmentally sound manner and in a spirit of solidarity.

26.As was stated in the judgment in the case Kichwa Indigenous People of Sarayaku v. Ecuador, Ecuador has enshrined the right to free, prior and informed consultation in its Constitution. It was therefore deemed necessary to address the subject in the Organic Act on Citizen Participation and to issue regulations on free, prior and informed consultations in connection with tenders for hydrocarbon-bearing tracts and blocks.

27.Prior consultation is an internationally recognized mechanism that is based on a number of guiding principles that are set forth in various international instruments. Consultations should be:

•Free;

•Prior;

•Informed;

•Undertaken in good faith;

•Culturally appropriate.

28.In order to carry out free, prior and informed consultations in keeping with the world views and living conditions of each of the peoples and nations concerned, the State first undertakes social and environmental assessments that serve as a basis for devising an initial approach to the community that will take into account the social and environmental factors necessary for conducting the consultation properly.

29.The following participation mechanisms are used:

•Permanent consultation offices

•Public hearings

•Mobile consultation offices

•Public information centres

•Civic dialogue forums

•Feedback assemblies.

30.In respect of blocks 79 and 83, the prior consultation process afforded an opportunity for participation and dialogue in good faith with persons living in the project area. These persons took part in the process, exercising their rights to participate and to be informed.

31.The Government has taken various measures to guarantee the rights of indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation, who are accorded special attention in Ecuador. Firstly, to ensure that all activities undertaken in connection with hydrocarbon operations provide special protection and observe the principles of precaution and non-contact with indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation, steps were taken to update the protocol of conduct governing hydrocarbon operators subject to oversight in areas adjacent to the Tagaeri-Taromenane Protected Zone and its buffer zone. Advances in this regard include:

•The guiding principles of the protocol have been updated in line with international standards

•Methodologies and actions for the operationalization of the protocol have been developed and implemented

•A high-level committee has been established to carry out follow-up

•Training has been provided in the companies involved in the operations

•Provision has been made for the suspension of operations should events occur that pose a threat to indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation (applicable to all activities carried out in areas adjacent to the Tagaeri-Taromenane Protected Zone, including blocks 31 and 43).

32.The Government has not issued environmental permits within the Tagaeri-Taromenane Protected Zone or the buffer zone delimited by Executive Decree No. 2187 of 3 January 2007.

33.One specific case in which steps have been taken to safeguard the rights of indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation relates to the latest environmental licence to have been issued for the development and production of the Ishpingo Norte field. The environmental impact study and the environmental management plan established that the buffer zone of the Tagaeri-Taromenane Protected Zone falls within the project’s area of direct influence owing to its proximity to the location where platforms will be installed; accordingly, there is a risk of accidentally encountering members of peoples in voluntary isolation.

34.In this context, the environmental management plan provides for actions and measures to manage the risk of unwanted contact with indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation. The operator, Petroamazonas EP, will have to undertake these actions and apply these measures once it has reached agreement concerning all of the actions it is to take with the Secretariat for Human Rights. Actions that have been approved in the environmental management plan include:

•Conduct environmental and biotic monitoring within the buffer zone to confirm or rule out the presence of impacts there

•Verify that the work is carried out within the duly permitted areas and that, in the event that monitoring is to be conducted in the buffer zone of the Tagaeri-Taromenane Protected Zone, a timetable of activities is submitted for approval before entering

•Implement the inter-institutional cooperation agreement between the Secretariat for Human Rights and Petroamazonas EP on training and on the oversight and monitoring of blocks 21, 31, 43 and 55 in respect of indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation and execute the plan for the implementation of the protocol of conduct governing hydrocarbon operators subject to oversight in areas adjacent to the Tagaeri-Taromenane Protected Zone.

35.The following measures have also been adopted with a view to the protection of indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation:

•Monitoring for the purpose of identifying signs or possible signs of the presence of indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation (searches and patrols)

•Radio monitoring by the Shiripuno monitoring station of the communities neighbouring the Tagaeri-Taromenane Protected Zone, its buffer zone, territories inhabited and frequented by indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation and areas of influence

•Remote monitoring subsystem for collecting information on the territory of indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation in the northern Ecuadorian Amazon and the specific pressure factors that affect them

•Remote sensing analysis using low- (satellite imagery) and high-resolution (georeferenced digital aerial photography) remote sensors

•Overflights to identify sites posing a threat to indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation and occupied sites and to collect additional data

•Training of local staff

•Mapping and updating of maps

•Identification of areas that indigenous peoples have historically occupied or travelled through

•Verification of conditions in the territories of indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation

•Analysis of the threats to indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation identified in surrounding areas

•Drafting of reports on the viability of activities in the Tagaeri-Taromenane Protected Zone

•Joint work with strategic communities

•Coordination of actions with public and private institutions in their respective spheres of responsibility to ensure the protection of indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation in the Protected Zone, its buffer zone and area of influence

•Visits by mobile medical and immunization teams to communities located in the Tagaeri-Taromenane Protected Zone.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 8 of the list of issues

Table 1 Percentage of the population living below the poverty line, 2007–2018

Source : National Statistics and Census Institute.

Table 2 Public expenditure allocated for social priorities, 2009–2019

	Educación	Alimentación	Salud	Agua	Desarrollo urbano y vivienda
	Devengado	%	Devengado	%	Devengado	%	Devengado	%	Devengado	%
2009	2.817.234.642,87	4,51	217.467.213,66	0,08	921.649.568,30	1,47	7.010.981,08	0,01	235.881.516,97	0,38
2010	3.049.021.871,67	4,38	251.934.219,59	0,11	1.153.272.224,84	1,66	89.008.245,47	0,13	213.680.224,45	0,31
2011	3.567.985.256,48	4,50	277.474.220,63	0,11	1.307.786.559,71	1,65	213.318,63	0,00	217.410.317,38	0,27
2012	3.867.265.753,62	4,40	384.108.751,80	0,06	1.678.764.525,44	1,91	112.122.945,16	0,13	449.817.646,45	0,51
2013	4.666.910.435,95	4,91	299.310.684,05	0,00	2.007.946.187,64	2,11	1.659.869,42	0,00	803.546.018,31	0,84
2014	4.792.199.326,19	4,71	391.029.659,59	0,08	2.200.510.168,00	2,16	206.237.581,67	0,20	733.640.872,44	0,72
2015	4.525.435.068,33	4,56	498.649.646,06	0,12	2.361.812.084,81	2,38	251.461.460,07	0,25	534.182.931,87	0,54
2016	4.360.034.708,90	2,43	234.717.888,66	0,01	2.427.055.070,84	0,86	317.167.790,07	0,32	856.740.745,54	4,36
2017	4.812.477.779,37	4,61	220.495.266,53	0,00	2.726.973.950,21	2,61	86.958.954,79	0,08	845.103.177,39	0,81
2018	4.970.926.029,96	4,59	134.451.215,88	0,00	2.882.933.299,93	2,66	79.911.950,87	0,07	348.815.485,95	0,32
2019 (julio )	2.437.788.695,80	2,23	51.888.152,74	0,00	1.669.693.936,71	1,53	18.749.626,02	0,02	168.596.294,25	0,15

Source : Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 9 of the list of issues

36.Social protection policies are translated into strategies, programmes and projects that are carried out by the country’s missions, particularly the “Menos Pobreza, Más Desarrollo” (less poverty, more development), “Mis Mejores Años” (my best years), “Las Manuelas”, “Las Joaquinas”, “Ternura” (tenderness) and “Impulso Joven” (youth momentum) missions. Some of these strategies are implemented on a cross-sectoral basis as part of the “Misión Mujer” (women’s mission). Their application is subject to periodic monitoring by the Technical Secretariat of Planning of Ecuador.

37.A basic social protection floor for disadvantaged persons and groups is provided by:

•Conditional and unconditional cash transfer programmes: the Human Development Bond and its variable component, the Joaquín Gallegos Lara voucher scheme and, since 2019, a voucher scheme for the children of victims of femicide

•Pensions: old-age pensions, disability pensions and the “Mis Mejores Años” (my best years) pension

•Services for people in situations of poverty or vulnerability: comprehensive child development services, elder care services, care for persons with disabilities and services for children and adolescents in need of special protection.

38.In addition, with the passage of the Organic Act on National Equality Councils, it was established that national equality councils would be formed to deal with issues relating to gender, intergenerational matters, peoples and nations, disability and human mobility. This law also mandated these councils to formulate, mainstream, monitor, evaluate and follow up on public policies in each of these areas.

39.The National Equality Councils supported the National Statistics and Census Institute in developing tools for the collection of information on perceptions of discrimination in the multi-year follow-up survey to the National Development Plan. These tools are designed for use in monitoring progress towards one of the Plan’s objectives (“improve indicators of perceptions of discrimination and exclusion”).

40.Policy tools relevant to disadvantaged groups include:

•The new implementing regulations for the Disabilities Act concerning the timely approval of benefits for persons with disabilities

•A handbook on sexual and reproductive rights and a life free from violence for persons with disabilities

•Protocols, procedures and directories on the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities

•A handbook on the judicial rights of persons with disabilities

•The National Agenda on Women and Gender Equality

•The National Agendas for Persons with Disabilities 2014–2017 and 2017–2021

•An action plan on forcibly displaced foreigners in Ecuador

•Guidelines on oversight of the exercise of labour rights by foreign migrant workers.

Reply to the questions raised in paragraph 10 of the list of issues

41.The Government has taken the following steps:

•Inter-institutional development of a step-by-step procedure for the denunciation of “dehomosexualization” clinics is currently under way.

•Training on gender, violence prevention and sexual diversity for more than 136,856 public- and private-sector personnel. Training on the right to equality and the prohibition of discrimination against LGBTI persons for 115,573 public servants.

•Training for health personnel in health-care services for the LGBTI community in the national health system and the development of technical standards on care for the LGBTI community.

•Development of procedures to protect the rights of LGBTI persons in the course of investigations and to ensure that procedures are followed in respect of judicial safeguards, due process and amicus curiae briefs.

•Dissemination of information on the rights of LGBTI people and on the types of discrimination that they face.

•Organization of “trans days” as a forum for dialogue and the creation of closer bonds between the State and society with the aim of raising public awareness about the rights of trans persons.

42.Activities carried out to develop strategic information include:

•A 2012 case study on the living conditions, social inclusion and enjoyment of human rights of the LGBTI community in Ecuador.

•The 2018 multi-year follow-up survey to the National Development Plan, which was designed to collect information on the general public’s perceptions of discrimination against population groups that historically have been subjected to discrimination on the basis of ethnic origin, sex, gender, age, disability and/or migrant status.

•Inclusion in the administrative records maintained by the Ministry of Public Health (Daily Automated Record of Outpatient Consultations and Care) of sexual orientation and gender identity variables, including an intersex variable, in order to compile information on the health status of LGBTI persons.

•Qualitative research.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 11 of the list of issues

43.The following measures taken by the State have had a positive impact in terms of the equality of rights of men and women.

44.Training and campaigns:

•Gender training for media workers with an emphasis on promoting inclusive and participatory forms of communication.

•Campaigns to mark International Women’s Day and the International Day of Non-Violence.

•Development of a training platform on the rights to communication and information designed to ensure that members of the community are aware of the mechanisms for the enforcement of their rights.

•The “Ahora Se Escucha Mi Voz” (Now my voice is being heard) campaign, in which 15 local agendas served as mechanisms for dissemination, training and awareness-raising, with approximately 17,705 beneficiaries.

45.In the sphere of employment:

•An increase in the number of women recruited through merit-based selection processes and competitive examinations to high-level positions in various branches of government. The legislative, electoral and judicial branches are all headed by women.

46.In elections in 2016:

•16 women were elected mayor.

•2 women became deputy prefects of their provinces.

•Women won 34 per cent of the seats on urban councils and 25 per cent of the seats on rural and parish councils.

47.In the 2017 legislative elections:

•Women held 38 per cent of the seats in the National Assembly.

•Of the 15 legislators elected on the basis of nationwide proportional representation, 8 were women and 7 men.

•Of the legislators elected by the provinces, 42 (36.2 per cent) were women and 74 (63.8 per cent) were men.

•Of the legislators elected by Ecuadorians living abroad, 2 out of 6 were women.

48.Of the 13 specialized committees that carry out the work of the National Assembly, 6 were chaired by women and 7 by men.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 12 of the list of issues

49.Unemployment in Ecuador fell from 6 per cent in 2008 to 3.7 per cent in 2018. This significant reduction is also apparent when the unemployment rate is disaggregated by urban/rural area, sex, age and ethnicity, as shown in the following table.

Table 3 Unemployment rate, 2007–2018

Source : Ministry of Labour.

50.As of June 2019, 68,508 persons with disabilities were in the formal labour market, of whom 23,068 were female and 45,440 male.

Table 4 Unemployment rate (in percentages) among persons with disabilities aged 18 – 64 years, 2017–2019

Type of disability	2017	2018	2019
Auditory	68.65	68.95	69.27
Physical	74.63	71.01	71.26
Intellectual	91.25	90.87	90.96
Psychosocial	88.31	86.30	85.87
Visual	72.21	68.86	69.10
Overall rate	78.36	76.08	76.31

Source : Ministry of Labour, National Disability Register of the Ministry of Public Health.

My First Job Project

51.A total of 55 persons with disabilities – 16 female and 39 male – were assisted in entering formal employment.

Youth Employment (Empleo Joven) Project

52.A total of 12 persons with disabilities – 2 female and 10 male – were assisted in entering formal employment.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 13 of the list of issues

53.Over the past decade, the unified basic wage has risen by 93 per cent, with a growth rate of 8 per cent per annum. Annual growth in the unified basic wage is shown below.

Table 5 Nominal unified basic wage, 2008–2018

Year	Unified basic wage ($)
2008	200
2009	218
2010	240
2011	264
2012	292
2013	318
2014	340
2015	354
2016	366
2017	375
2018	386

Source : Central Bank of Ecuador, Ministry of Labour.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 14 of the list of issues

54.The results of the national survey on employment, unemployment and underemployment revealed that informal employment fell by 3.8 per cent between 2008 and 2014.

Table 6 Employment rate in the informal sector, 2007–2018

Source : National Statistics and Census Institute.

55.The following initiatives have been undertaken in an effort to gradually regularize the economic and productive activities of people working in the informal economy. The main objective is to assist with skill development:

•A workshop for people close to retirement, with 108 beneficiaries

•A workshop on generating business ideas, with 150 beneficiaries

•A workshop on career guidance and assistance for jobseekers aimed at improving soft skills and technical and behavioural competencies, with 193 beneficiaries

•Issuance of 22,824 work permits to migrants for employment in the public and private sectors.

56.Labour inspections have had an impact in terms of motivating employers to honour their obligations and promoting the recognition of the social rights and benefits that derive from employment.

57.There is also a national system for monitoring labour inspectors. This system records the payment of social benefits to all workers, including the bonuses known as the “thirteenth and fourteenth salaries”, profit-sharing arrangements and a decent wage. Employers are required to record this information; if they do not, or are late in doing so, the system will automatically generate fines, which must then be paid and reported in the system.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 15 of the list of issues

58.The wage gap between men and women was 17.9 per cent in 2018, compared with 24.9 per cent in 2008, for a reduction of 7 percentage points.

Table 7 Labour income gap, 2007–2021

	Geographical area	Age group	Income quintile
Year	National	Urban	Rural	15 – 24	25 – 34	35 – 44	45 – 64	65 and over	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q5
2007	23.8	31.1	42.1	9.5	22.3	30.7	35.0	50.3	39.4	42.3	36.3	31.7	38.5
2008	24.9	29.4	29.1	11.9	19.2	31.5	27.0	40.1	43.0	38.2	38.1	30.2	33.9
2009	22.4	25.9	31.6	8.2	23.1	22.0	28.4	34.5	38.9	41.2	33.0	23.3	31.0
2010	18.6	23.1	26.5	4.4	16.0	25.2	22.4	22.5	37.0	35.4	29.4	21.6	28.5
2011	20.8	24.4	26.1	3.5	16.1	23.6	27.1	37.5	46.8	38.3	33.7	27.7	24.0
2012	17.2	20.6	27.4	0.6	11.4	21.9	24.1	33.5	39.2	39.0	25.5	21.5	24.8
2013	21.1	23.4	27.4	6.5	15.5	17.2	32.8	40.2	39.9	38.9	31.6	23.5	28.6
2014	23.0	23.1	31.1	13.2	16.3	27.3	30.9	37.5	41.4	40.6	33.2	28.2	26.3
2015	22.5	22.4	33.4	16.7	14.1	23.1	32.5	45.0	43.2	4.0	34.5	29.1	25.7
2016	21.9	21.1	32.9	16.7	14.0	27.2	28.7	37.5	41.3	44.9	35.6	28.4	22.6
2017	20.0	19.8	30.2	7.1	17.3	23.8	25.8	29.9	43.1	42.3	36.6	27.9	20.2
2018*	19.1
2019*	18.9
2020*	18.6
2021*	18.4

Source : National Information System and National Statistics and Census Institute, national survey on employment, unemployment and underemployment.

* The labour income gap measures the difference between the average labour income of women and men, expressed as a percentage of men ’ s average income. In 2017, the national wage gap between women and men was 20 per cent (National Information System).

59.In this regard, the Government has supported the following flagship initiatives:

•Issuance of human development loans under the “Menos Pobreza, Más Desarrollo” Mission (Less poverty, more development), with 92 per cent of the recipients being women

•Establishment of a people’s bank to provide financial products on favourable conditions, including terms and interest rates geared towards women, young entrepreneurs, migrants and informal traders, either as individual borrowers and/or members of associations

•The “Misión Mujer” (women’s mission) includes an economic empowerment component that develops strategies for promoting and enforcing the economic rights of women so that they can achieve autonomy

•Adoption of an implementation plan for the Gender Equality Seal programme for public and private institutions in order to create a level playing field for men and women, eliminate gender wage gaps, include women in non-traditional sectors, promote a work-life balance with social responsibility and promote women’s access to leadership positions

•The National Corporation for Grass-Roots and Solidarity-based Finance issues loan guarantees to facilitate women’s access to credit extended by other financial institutions

•The National Finance Corporation increased the number of its transactions with women by 71 per cent.

60.The Organic Act on Labour Justice and Recognition of Work in the Home recognizes unpaid work in the home and brings domestic workers into the social security system, among other benefits.

61.In addition, the Labour Code has been amended to incorporate the concept of “untimely dismissal without just cause” and to prohibit the dismissal of female employees on grounds connected with pregnancy or maternity.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 16 of the list of issues

62.The Ombudsman’s Office has drawn attention to instances in which constitutional and legal provisions on freedom of association and trade union rights have not been observed. One example relates to banana plantation workers, especially in the provinces of Los Ríos, El Oro and Guayas.

63.The Ombudsman’s Office has identified the following problems:

•Legal impediments to the formation of trade unions in the sector

•Irregularities in ensuring conditions of decent work

•The danger posed to workers and their families by exposure to glyphosate and other toxic substances that are sprayed directly on the plants.

64.The Ombudsman’s Office urged the relevant State institutions to provide the necessary facilities to guarantee the right of workers to form the professional associations and trade unions that they consider appropriate, without distinction and without the need for prior authorization.

65.The Ministry of Labour conducts monitoring and inspections on a daily basis to prevent the violation of workers’ trade union rights. It also approves and registers the statutes of workers’ organizations. In so doing, it respects their right to freedom of association.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 17 of the list of issues

66.A growth rate of 36.5 per cent in the number of persons covered by the social security scheme for unpaid domestic workers was recorded, with coverage tending to stabilize at about 200,000. This represents just over 6.6 per cent of the total number of persons in the compulsory general social security system as of May 2019.

67.The number of foreign workers in the social security system, by nationality and type of permit, as of May 2019, is shown below.

Table 8Foreign nationals with social security coverage, 2019

	Type of document
Nationality	International protection visa	Employment card	Passport	No document registered	Total
Venezuelan	34	18	10 954	15 067	26 073
Colombian	350	388	3 635	13 561	17 934
Cuban	1	-	530	6 542	7 073
Peruvian	2	8	1 309	2 652	3 971
Chinese	-	1	1 741	1 254	2 996
United States	1	-	226	2 364	2 591
Spanish	-	-	275	1 056	1 331
Chilean	-	-	163	1 089	1 252
Argentine	-	-	239	756	995
Mexican	-	1	186	325	512
Other	6	4	1 508	4 700	6 218
Total	394	420	20 766	49 366	70 946

Source : Ecuadorian Social Security Institute.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 18 of the list of issues

68.The Comprehensive Organic Act on the Prevention and Eradication of Violence against Women, which was passed in 2018, provides for the establishment of the National Observatory on Violence against Women and for the creation of a consolidated register on violence against women to be used as a tool for analysing this problem and for processing and updating the information generated by the member agencies of the System.

69.The following actions have been taken since this law entered into force:

•Training of public officials in relation to urgent actions and immediate and administrative protection measures. Progress is being made in implementing the system for follow-up to situations in which administrative measures for immediate protection have been granted.

•Training of the ECU 911 hotline operators who refer the calls that they receive.

•The development of a massive open online course (MOOC) on the prevention and detection of violence in educational settings, with a target population of 160,000 teachers and 11,000 administrative staff.

•Dissemination of information on the Comprehensive Organic Act in civic forums and through educational and information materials.

•Consolidation of the general protocol for responding to violence against children, teenagers, women, persons with disabilities and older adults.

•Activation of social intervention services, individual, group and family psychological support and intervention services, and crisis intervention services; referrals and counter-referrals of cases within the framework of the Specialized Special Protection Services (SEPE), with 533,222 women being provided with services between June 2017 and February 2019.

•Implementation of the “Misión Mujer” (women’s mission), whose primary focus is the eradication of gender-based violence. This serves as a platform for the Government’s work in coordinating policies, programmes and services for the prevention of violence and the provision of care, protection and reparation to victims of violence.

•The National Pact for Quality and Inclusion in Education, which approaches these issues from the perspective of children and adolescents.

•Practical application by students of State-funded schools of a handbook prepared for the purpose of facilitating the application of a participatory approach to the prevention of sexual violence.

•Implementation of a project covering the period 2019–2021 that is designed to reinforce a comprehensive approach for dealing with cases of violence detected or committed in the national education system, with a target population of 2,926,098 students, 206,239 teachers, 5,347 principals and school authorities and 140 professionals in 3,501 educational institutions.

•Design of the Violence-Free Neighbourhoods and Schools Project. The aim of this project is to strengthen the social fabric in neighbourhoods and schools that have high rates of violence against women, children and adolescents.

•Design of radio spots and outreach materials for community radio stations throughout the country focusing on raising awareness and modifying sociocultural patterns.

•Assignment of top priority to the investigation and prosecution of crimes committed against children and adolescents that involve violations of their sexual and reproductive rights.

•Development of a comprehensive response plan for implementation in the event of an escalation of violence against women and girls and formation of comprehensive response committees comprised of various redeployed and decentralized institutions. The plan includes an inter-institutional protocol for early interventions and an early warning system, along with a road map and guidelines for the rapid issuance of administrative protection measures.

•Development of the following tools for working with decentralized autonomous governments: (a) a model ordinance for the establishment and/or strengthening of cantonal rights protection boards; (b) guidelines for the rapid issuance of administrative protection measures to prevent and halt violence against women; (c) draft rules of procedure for ordering the rapid issuance of administrative protection measures to prevent and halt violence against women.

70.With respect to the problem of femicide, in 2017 a technical validation subcommittee was established under the Special Inter-Agency Commission on Citizen Security and Justice to construct an approved indicator and produce duly validated official data. Since March 2019, the Government has administered a voucher scheme for children and adolescents who have been orphaned as a result of femicide. In addition, mechanisms have been established jointly with the National Secretariat of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation for the award of study grants to victims of violence and femicide.

71.In order to strengthen the enforcement of the prohibition of child marriage, article 95 of the Civil Code was amended in 2015 to stipulate that any marriage contracted by a person under the age of 18 years shall be null and void.

72.The measures aimed at eradicating child labour among children between the ages of 5 and 14 that are discussed in paragraphs 131 to 144 of the State party report are expected to reduce the proportion of children in that age group who work from 4.9 per cent to 2.7 per cent by 2021.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 19 of the list of issues

73.As of December 2018, the rate of income poverty in Ecuador (income of less than US$ 84.79 per month) stood at 23.2 per cent, compared with 21.49 per cent in December 2017. Extreme poverty (income of less than US$ 47.78 per month) stood at 8.4 per cent, compared with 7.9 per cent in December 2017.

Table 9 Income poverty, 2013–2018

	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
Percentage	Percentage	Percentage	Percentage	Percentage	Percentage
	25.6	22.5	23.3	22.9	21.5	23.2
Urban	17.6	16.4	15.7	15.7	13.2	15.3
Men	16.8	15.6	15.1	15.3	12.7	14.7
Women	18.5	17.2	16.2	16.2	13.7	15.9
Rural	42.0	35.3	39.3	38.2	39.3	40.0
Men	41.0	34.7	37.9	37.3	38.4	39.0
Women	43.1	35.9	40.7	39.1	40.1	41.1
Ethnicity
Indigenous	51.1	49.1	52.8	53.4	55.0	N/A
White	14.3	12.7	18.1	17.2	22.7	N/A
Mestizo	22.2	19.5	19.2	19.1	16.9	N/A
Afro-Ecuadorian	35.9	30.8	31.6	32.2	27.6	N/A
Montubio	44.2	37.7	34.7	30.0	29.4	N/A
Nationality
Ecuadorian	N/A	22.5	23.4	23.0	21.5	23.4
Foreign	N/A	16.6	15.0	15.5	17.3	12.3

Source : National Statistics and Census Institute, national survey on employment, unemployment and underemployment.

Table 10 Extreme income poverty, 2013–2018

	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
Percentage	Percentage	Percentage	Percentage	Percentage	Percentage
	8.6	7.7	8.5	8.7	7.9	8.4
Urban	4.4	4.5	4.4	4.5	3.3	4.1
Men	4.1	4.1	4.2	4.1	3.1	4.0
Women	4.7	4.9	4.6	4.9	3.5	4.1
Rural	17.4	14.3	17.0	17.6	17.9	17.7
Men	17.1	14.2	16.3	17.1	17.5	17.2
Women	17.7	14.5	17.7	18.0	18.3	18.2
Ethnicity
Indigenous	24.3	26.5	30.7	31.9	35.0	N/A
White	2.4	4.0	3.8	7.4	5.7	N/A
Mestizo	7.0	5.6	5.8	6.1	4.9	N/A
Afro-Ecuadorian	13.2	12.8	14.3	12.4	10.5	N/A
Montubio	14.6	16.7	11.4	10.5	6.5	N/A
Nationality
Ecuadorian	N/A	7.7	8.5	8.7	8.0	8.5
Foreign	N/A	5.4	5.4	6.3	4.4	4.1

Source : National Statistics and Census Institute, national survey on employment, unemployment and underemployment.

Figure 1 Income poverty by age group, 2013–2018

Source : National Statistics and Census Institute, national survey on employment, unemployment and underemployment.

Figure 2 Extreme income poverty by age group, 2013–2018

Source : National Statistics and Census Institute, national survey on employment, unemployment and underemployment.

Table 11 Poverty among persons with disabilities, by type of disability, May 2019

Source : National Council for Persons with Disabilities.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 20 of the list of issues

74.Nationally, chronic undernutrition (stunting) affects 23.9 per cent of children under the age of 5 years; the rate of general undernutrition (underweight) stands at 4.8 per cent and the rate of acute undernutrition (wasting) is 1.6 per cent.

Table 12 Undernutrition in children under the age of 5 years, by area, 2014

	Chronic undernutrition	General undernutrition	Acute undernutrition
National	23.9	4.8	1.6
Urban	19.7	4.1	1.5
Rural	31.9	6.2	1.9

Source : Ministry of Public Health.

75.The Ministry of Public Health has led the design and implementation of the Intersectoral Food and Nutrition Plan 2018–2025, whose aim is to promote optimal nutrition and development throughout people’s lives and to ensure the delivery of comprehensive health care.

76.The Plan has eight strategic action lines: (1) intersectoral coordination; (2) monitoring and evaluation; (3) comprehensive care; (4) breastfeeding; (5) healthy environments and practices; (6) safe water and sanitation; (7) food security and diversity; and (8) social protection and inclusion.

77.The Plan is also linked to various policies and regulations designed to improve the nutritional status of the population, such as:

•Regulations on mother-and-child-friendly health facilities

•Regulations for school canteens in the national education system

•Regulations on the labelling of processed foods for human consumption

•Fiscal measures such as the tax on sugary beverages

•Recognition of the nutrition-related responsibilities of restaurants and cafés

•The agreement between the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Labour on technical standards for the outfitting and use of breastfeeding rooms in the private sector

•The establishment of human milk banks.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 21 of the list of issues

78.The Inter-Agency Committee on Water Quality has been established to coordinate policymaking on water quality and pollution control for the protection, conservation and integrated management of water resources. The National Strategy for Water Quality was developed within that framework. The main achievements in this connection are:

•A baseline study on water quality

•The protection, monitoring and improvement of water quality

•The introduction of a requirement for an environmental impact study prior to the approval of all projects or works.

79.With regard to large-scale agricultural activities and fumigation, training courses have been organized at the national level on the correct handling of chemical pesticides for agricultural use. In addition, regulations on the approval process for chemical substances have been issued under the Organic Code on the Environment of 2017. Procedures have been established for the registration of hazardous waste generators, for hazardous waste management prior to the issuance of environmental permits and for the transport of hazardous materials.

80.The National Safe Water Plan for 2019–2025 is aimed at reducing national rates of morbidity and mortality caused by waterborne diseases. The plan has three components: monitoring drinking water quality and safety; promoting healthy habits in water use and consumption, basic sanitation and hygiene; and intersectoral coordination.

81.In the areas reputedly affected by extractive projects and fumigation in the vicinity of the northern border, community work is being done to collect family records, to identify health risks and needs and to implement and follow up on intervention plans.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 22 of the list of issues

82.Implementation of a project to provide family farmers with access to land and to undertake a large-scale titling initiative in Ecuador resulted in the issuance of 332,897 title deeds in 2010–2018. Access to land was opened up for 85 organizations belonging to the grass-roots economy, with more than 5,000 direct beneficiaries during the period. The titling of the lands of ancestral communities resulted in the award of titles to 420,566.84 hectares in 2011–2018 to 5,801 direct beneficiaries.

83.Information on land titling procedures and rules has been shared with the members of rural communities in the parish of Santiago de Pananza, which is located in the canton of San Juan Bosco. Technical assistance and training are also provided to agricultural producers in the area, and comprehensive farm management plans have been drawn up in order to help farm owners develop their own production plans.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 23 of the list of issues

National Sexual and Reproductive Health Plan

84.Advances include:

•Training of 559 teachers involved in the ABCs for All project (86 per cent) in the presentation of a module on sexual and reproductive health

•Increased promotion of sexual and reproductive health with the help of educational and communications strategies and tools

•Training for 21,313 members of local health committees, clubs and the general public on sexual and reproductive rights

•Operation of the health promotion helpline 171 option 2 (nutrition, sexual and reproductive health, mental health and maternal health)

•Development of a module on sexual and reproductive health for the civic participation schools initiative organized by the Ministry of Public Health

•Monitoring and follow-up of the implementation of the regulations governing access to contraceptives in the national health system and the 2013 directive issued in that connection

•Nationwide implementation of family planning flows.

85.Access to emergency oral contraception:

•All persons, regardless of their ethnicity, age, sex, cultural identity, marital status, language, religion, ideology, political affiliation, socioeconomic status, economic migration status, gender identity, health status, HIV/AIDS status, disability, physical difference or other condition, have the right to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care, including free access to emergency oral contraceptives.

•Emergency oral contraceptives may be provided to anyone, regardless of age or sex, without a prescription and without any need to show proof of identity, to make a medical appointment or to be accompanied by anyone else.

•The presence or authorization of the partner, a family member or any other person is not required in order to obtain any type of contraceptive.

•Contraceptives can be provided without having to attend a gynaecological consultation or provide any kind of document.

86.Between 2016 and 2018, the Ministry of Public Health spent US$ 230,216.91 on emergency oral contraceptives.

Table 13 Number of initial family planning consultations, by province, 2013–2018

Province	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018 (*)
Azuay	20 172	17 977	17 917	19 443	24 821	30 791
Bolívar	5 048	5 152	4 872	4 638	5 433	8 219
Cañar	6 216	6 977	6 478	6 141	6 533	9 194
Carchi	4 225	5 000	4 817	5 388	8 049	11 579
Chimborazo	12 660	11 865	9 780	12 371	14 554	29 112
Cotopaxi	9 362	9 389	9 627	11 989	9 925	13 318
El Oro	24 607	21 097	17 060	15 293	16 397	14 217
Esmeraldas	19 526	19 774	26 258	27 462	29 748	34 426
Galápagos	300	672	1 125	950	856	821
Guayas	89 892	79 682	81 983	75 666	109 964	141 328
Imbabura	10 877	8 263	8 007	11 126	12 608	11 582
Loja	16 048	15 336	10 564	10 740	9 606	8 763
Los Ríos	39 817	27 879	22 850	24 720	33 540	47 555
Manabí	44 808	41 092	39 721	51 812	45 629	40 141
Morona-Santiago	5 231	5 861	9 475	12 727	16 564	15 599
Napo	6 983	6 998	7 684	8 049	9 323	10 029
Orellana	6 819	5 903	6 524	7 291	7 689	7 736
Pastaza	4 124	3 098	3 896	4 146	3 168	3 234
Pichincha	74 588	72 471	65 157	73 275	72 877	83 514
Santa Elena	13 683	13 704	13 880	14 960	15 412	22 837
Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas	16 652	14 429	19 601	23 418	16 338	13 224
Sucumbíos	8 937	9 869	8 301	7 170	8 611	10 292
Tungurahua	16 069	13 708	12 582	12 381	16 436	21 749
Zamora-Chinchipe	5 109	3 090	2 911	3 846	4 430	3 669
Non-delimited zones	1 160	1 996	2 467	352	-	-
Total	462 913	421 282	413 537	445 354	498 511	592 929

Source : Daily Automated Record of Outpatient Consultations and Care and Health Care Registration Platform.

Table 14 Number of initial family planning consultations, by self-identified ethnicity, 2013–2018

Self-identification	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018 (*)
Afro-Ecuadorian/ African descent	6 879	6 126	5 728	5 220	6 711	7 216
White	2 671	2 037	1 915	1 874	1 986	1 998
Indigenous	26 854	24 423	26 548	32 144	39 855	51 314
Mestizo	404 049	367 813	357 242	382 399	417 277	493 681
Montubio	10 385	9 250	9 534	12 117	18 102	20 008
Mulatto	2 118	1 863	2 290	2 124	2 283	2 342
Black	5 319	4 907	5 998	5 523	6 109	5 843
Not applicable	3 780	3 781	3 369	3 002	4 727	8 996
Don ’ t know/no reply	499	500	554	711	1 007	987
Other	359	582	359	240	454	544
Total	462 913	421 282	413 537	445 354	498 511	592 929

Source : Daily Automated Record of Outpatient Consultations and Care and Health Care Registration Platform.

Table 15 Pregnant and postpartum women identified in connection with the Neighbourhood Doctors Strategy, 2018–20 19

	2018	2019
Pregnant women	4 225	37 245

Source : Institutional Bureau for Strategies and Coordination on Maternal and Neonatal Health, July 2019.

87.A protocol has been developed on obstetric emergency management, along with the “Score MAMA” early warning system for projecting the risk of maternal morbidity (2017). Training has been provided to health-care personnel that includes information on this protocol and the early warning system. In 2017, an ongoing training plan that included an online component and training for trainers on the “Score MAMA” system was prepared for 21,540 professionals.

88.A total of 14 amendments to the Comprehensive Organic Criminal Code have been proposed with a view to the passage of new legislation on abortion, and the Justice Committee of the National Assembly, which is studying the topic, has released a proposal for general discussion in the plenary on the decriminalization of abortion in cases of rape, incest and fetal deformity. The first reading in the National Assembly concluded on 5 February 2019 with a presentation by Assembly members and invited guests (including members of the National Council for Gender Equality). The report to be presented for the second reading is now ready for submission when the legislature reconvenes.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 24 of the list of issues

89.With the launch of the mental health care model and the National Mental Health Plan, a network of essential mental health services has been established. These services include mental health care outpatient services, intensive outpatient services, inpatient mental health units, crisis intervention units and specialized centres for the treatment of alcohol and drug addictions.

Table 16 Mental health consultations, 2013–2018

90.As part of the country’s network of regular, independent monitoring mechanisms, the mental health services regularly report the number of (individual and group) consultations provided, the number of initial and subsequent consultations, the number of discharges, personal data (sex, sexual orientation, marital status, education level, nationality, self-identified ethnicity, membership in a priority group), health facility data and the type of diagnosis.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 25 of the list of issues

Table 17 Beneficiaries of the Basic Education for Young People and Adults Project, 2011–2018

People/nationality	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
Achuar	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	39	41
Cofán	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	1	14
Awá	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	2	5
Chachi	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	13	82
Epera	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	16	16
Waorani	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	9	28
Kichwa	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	523	937
Secoya	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	1	1
Shiwiar	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	6	9
Shuar	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	218	687
Zápara	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	5	5
Does not belong to a nationality	87 712	112 992	124 190	63 979	91 479	44 855	156 906	159 734
Annual total	87 712	112 992	124 190	63 979	91 479	44 855	157 739	161 559

Source : Ministry of Education.

91.Under the ABCs for All Project, over 129,838 young students and adults were able to continue their studies during the 2019/20 academic year.

92.Education and information campaigns that have been carried out include the “More United, Better Protected” campaign, which was developed to raise awareness among the entire school community (students, parents, teachers and principals and school authorities) about sexual violence and to empower people to play a role in the prevention of such situations, thereby strengthening the role of the education system in preventing and identifying cases of sexual abuse and providing timely responses and protection to victims.

93.The following training initiatives have been undertaken:

•Online training for teachers on preventing and dealing with violence in the education system

•Training of 500 sports coaches in methods of preventing and addressing sexual violence in the context of extracurricular activities

•Training workshops for teachers and administrative staff on restorative practices in order to build their capacity to resolve conflicts and provide support to victims of violence

•The issuance of protocols for dealing with violent situations identified or arising within the education system

•The publication and distribution of 610,000 copies of a handbook on methods of dealing with cases of sexual violence

•Installation of the REDEVI computer system for registering cases of sexual violence reported by educational institutions.

94.In the area of inclusive and specialized education:

•Nationwide there are 8,529 inclusive educational institutions attended by students with varying levels of disability who, on the basis of a psychopedagogical assessment, have been found to be able to attend mainstream schools

•There are 108 specialized educational institutions (with a focus on moderate intellectual disability)

•Training in educational inclusion was provided to 5,927 teachers in 2018 and 2019.

Table 18 Number of students with disabilities, by type of disability and regime, 2016–2019

Type of disability	Period	Coast	Sierra	Total
Auditory	2016/2017	1 308	1 292	2 600
Physical	2 395	2 070	4 465
Intellectual	5 297	5 749	11 046
Psychosocial	432	373	805
Visual	573	631	1 204
Overall total		10 005	10 115	20 120
Auditory	2017/2018	1 254	1 225	2 479
Physical	2 590	1 968	4 558
Intellectual	5 896	5 718	11 614
Psychosocial	518	420	938
Visual	472	554	1 026
Overall total		10 730	9 885	20 615
Auditory	2018/2019	2 748	2 403	5 151
Physical	7 244	5 223	12 467
Intellectual	12 513	10 742	23 255
Psychosocial	1 362	975	2 337
Visual	1 540	1 359	2 899
Overall total		25 407	20 702	46 109

Source : National Council for Persons with Disabilities.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 26 of the list of issues

95.An inter-institutional panel has begun work on a plan to safeguard the indigenous languages of Ecuador. These languages are:

•Teteté and Andoa (extinct)

•Siapedie and Zápara (critically endangered)

•Awapit, Siona-Secoya, Shiwiar and the Kichwa varieties spoken in Cañar, Azuay and Loja (severely endangered)

•Cha’palaa, Tsa’fiqui, A’ingae, Shuar, Achuar and the Kichwa varieties spoken in the Amazon and the central and northern highlands (endangered)

•Wao Tededo (vulnerable).

96.A proposal has been made to signpost roads in the territories where the 14 languages of Ecuador are spoken based on maps produced following the 2010 census. Actions proposed for this purpose include:

•Design of signage

•Management of resources for the installation of signage

•A programme of events for the unveiling of signage in the territories

•An event to mark the conclusion of the International Year of Indigenous Languages.

97.It has also been proposed that tourist attractions and tourism websites provide information about the 14 languages spoken in Ecuador and that an e-book be published on the creation myths of the peoples and nations of Ecuador, both in Spanish and in the corresponding indigenous language.

Reply to questions raised in paragraph 27 of the list of issues

98.The impact of the Telecommunications Act is reflected in the following advances:

•Fixed-line Internet: the number of accounts increased by 503,292 between 2015 and 2019

•Mobile Internet: the number of accounts increased by 3,460,257 between 2015 and 2019

•Advanced mobile service: the number of active lines increased by 2,098,041 between 2015 and 2019

•In 2018, mobile coverage with 2G or 3G technology stood at 94.65 per cent, for an increase of 6.95 per cent since 2016

•Mobile coverage with 4G technology or higher increased by 18.7 per cent between 2015 and 2019.

99.As part of the Community Infocentres Project, which is helping to bridge the digital illiteracy gap:

•A total of 877 infocentres have been established in the country’s 24 provinces (most of them in rural and marginal urban areas)

•A total of 6,000 training events dealing with topics related to information and communications technologies have been carried out.

100.The following progress has been made in narrowing the digital divide:

•A 23 per cent overall reduction in digital illiteracy. The digital illiteracy rate fell from 56.7 per cent to 26 per cent among persons in the poorest income quintile, from 52.3 per cent to 21.2 per cent in rural areas, from 40.4 per cent to 13.58 per cent among Afro-Ecuadorians and from 55.2 per cent to 29.8 per cent among the indigenous population.

•The proportion of households with Internet access increased from 7.65 per cent in 2009 to 37.20 per cent in 2017.

•The proportion of households with a computer increased from 26.97 per cent in 2010 to 40.73 per cent in 2017.

•The proportion of the population with mobile telephones increased from 40.2 per cent in 2009 to 59.6 per cent in 2017.