Violence against Women and to closely monitor the results achieved. The State party should adopt a specific type of criminal offence for domestic violence. The State party is encouraged to participate directly in rehabilitation and legal assistance programmes and it should ensure that all women who are victims of domestic violence have access to a sufficient number of safe and adequately funded shelters. The State party is also encouraged to conduct broader awareness campaigns for officials (judges, law officers, law enforcement agents and welfare workers) who are in direct contact with the victims. Furthermore, the Committee recommends that the State party strengthen its efforts in respect of research and data collection on the extent of domestic violence, including its prevalence, causes and consequences. Trafficking (21) The Committee recognizes the existence of legislative and other measures to address trafficking in women and children, including for sexual exploitation purposes, such as the Programme for the Prevention and Control of Trafficking in Human Beings for 2005-2008, the establishment, in 2006, of a specialized Department of Investigation of Trafficking in Human Beings at the Police Department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the ratification, in 2003, of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. However, the Committee is concerned about persistent reports of cross-border trafficking in women for sexual and other exploitative purposes and it regrets the low number of prosecutions in this respect. The Committee also regrets that the State party does not have an effective system in place to monitor and assess the extent and impact of this phenomenon or to address it effectively (arts. 2, 10 and 16). The State party should continue to take effective measures to prosecute and punish trafficking in persons, including through the strict application of relevant legislation. The State party should continue to conduct nationwide awareness-raising campaigns, provide adequate programmes of assistance, recovery and reintegration for victims of trafficking and conduct training for law enforcement officials, migration officials and border police on the causes, consequences and incidence of trafficking and other forms of exploitation. Data collection (22) While noting that some statistics have been provided, the Committee regrets the lack of comprehensive and disaggregated data on complaints, investigations, prosecutions and convictions of cases of torture and ill-treatment by law enforcement officials, as well as on trafficking and domestic and sexual violence. The Committee also regrets the lack of statistics in respect of asylum-seekers and non-citizens as well as inter-prisoner violence (arts. 12 and 13). The State party should establish an effective system to gather all statistical data relevant to the monitoring of the implementation of the Convention at the national level, including complaints, investigations, prosecutions and convictions of cases of torture and ill-treatment, inter-prisoner violence, trafficking and domestic and sexual violence. The Committee recognizes the sensitive implications of gathering personal data and emphasizes that appropriate measures should be taken to ensure that such data collection is not abused. (23) While taking note of the statement by the delegation that serious and ongoing discussions are taking place regarding the possible future ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Committee encourages the State party to ratify the Optional Protocol. (24) The Committee invites the State party to ratify the core United Nations human rights treaties to which it is not yet a party, namely the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Committee also invites the State party to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. (25) The Committee recommends that the State party consider making the declarations under articles 21 and 22 of the Convention. 57