invites non-governmental organizations to contribute to the study, taking into account the recommendations of the Committee made following the general discussions on violence against children held in September 2000 and 2001, and, further, encourages the independent expert to seek also the participation of children in the study, taking into account their age and maturity; 20. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a substantive progress report on the study to the Commission at its sixty-first session and the final in-depth study to the Commission at its sixty-second session for its consideration, with the aim of evaluating all possible complementary measures and future actions; 21. Requests all relevant human rights mechanisms, in particular special rapporteurs and working groups, within their mandates, to pay attention to the special situation of violence against children, reflecting their experience in the field; 22. Calls upon all States to take all appropriate national, bilateral and multilateral measures to prevent, and to protect children from, all forms of physical, sexual and psychological violence, including violence occurring, inter alia, in the family, in public or private institutions, in society, or perpetrated or tolerated by private individuals, juridical persons or the State; 23. Also calls upon all States to investigate and submit cases of torture and other forms of violence against children to the competent authorities for the purpose of prosecution and to impose appropriate disciplinary or penal sanctions against those responsible for such practices; III. NON-DISCRIMINATION 24. Calls upon all States to ensure that children are entitled to their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights without discrimination of any kind; 25. Notes with concern the large number of children, particularly girls, among the victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and stresses the need to incorporate special measures, in accordance with the principle of the best interests of the child and respect for his or her views, in programmes to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in order to give priority attention to the rights and the situation of children who are victims of these practices, and calls upon States to provide special support and ensure equal access to services for those children; 26. Calls upon all States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities or persons of indigenous origin exist not to deny to a child belonging to such a minority, or who is indigenous, the right, in community with other members of his or her group, to enjoy his or her own culture, to profess and practise his or her own religion, or to use his or her own language; The girl child 27. Calls upon all States to take all necessary measures, including legal reforms where appropriate: (a) To ensure the full and equal enjoyment by girls of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, to take effective actions against violations of those rights and page 8