A/HRC/20/25/Add.1 must ensure that the participatory process does not perpetuate the existing male-dominated power structures. 74. The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Ministry of Social Solidarity assess the possibility of implementing a categorical targeting of non-universal programmes, benefiting everyone in the most deprived communities first. The assessment of which communities are the most deprived must be objective and independent. The Government must ensure that the selection of beneficiaries is made on the basis of reasonable and objective criteria and that people have access to a complaint mechanism to review any possible unfair exclusion from the programmes. Such a mechanism must be impartial and anonymous, and have the competence to provide effective redress. 75. The Special Rapporteur is also concerned about the geographical accessibility of the programmes, the cultural adaptability of the dissemination methods, and the imposition of requirements that may discourage eligible beneficiaries to apply. The poorest and most marginalized populations often experience real difficulties meeting the administrative requirements of social protection programmes. A survey shows that more than 70 per cent of beneficiaries across all programmes cited obtaining required documentation as the most significant difficulty when applying. 83 76. In Timor-Leste the populations most in need of social protection are those removed from urban centres. Therefore, additional efforts must be made to ensure that physical and practical obstacles such as long distances, difficult geographical terrain, and high transportation and opportunity costs are not preventing people from accessing the programmes. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur is particularly concerned about the implementation of the pension programme for the elderly: almost one third of the beneficiaries must travel 90 minutes or more to receive the benefit. 84 The Special Rapporteur encourages the Ministry of Social Solidarity to continue to assess the best way of delivering the benefits, in full recognition of the potential discriminatory effect of particular modes of disbursement. 77. The Special Rapporteur has particular concerns about the Bolsa da Mãe programme. Initially, the design of the programme raised serious human rights concerns with respect to the reasonableness, objectivity and transparency of the qualifying conditions for the scheme. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the flexibility displayed by the Ministry of Social Solidarity in making improvements, which have included revising the eligibility criteria. Following the completion of her mission, the Special Rapporteur was informed of the adoption of a Decree-Law on the Bolsa da Mãe programme, which enshrines the new framework in law. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the changes to the programmes as reflected in the new Law, including the establishment of a monitoring system to oversee the implementation of the programme. Of great importance is the inclusion in the new Law of provisions which ensure the continuous implementation and funding for the programme. However, the Special Rapporteur is extremely concerned about the imposition of conditionalities in the programme. 78. While evidence from some countries suggests that conditional cash transfer programmes are successful in achieving health and education outcomes, policies from very different contexts may not translate well to Timor-Leste in this case. Because of the specific vulnerabilities of people living in poverty in Timor-Leste, including the limited access to education and poor infrastructure, the imposition of conditionalities could undermine the enjoyment of human rights. Furthermore, it involves additional monitoring and 83 84 20 Ibid. Ibid.