A/HRC/23/4 19. Concerning gender equality, Lord Vaea referred to a question from Norway as to steps taken to improve gender equality and empower women and to increase the number of women in decision-making positions. Lord Vaea stated that Tonga has made a significant commitment at the national, regional and international levels to promote gender equality, and has also carried out activities to maintain gender equality. He reported on the number of women that are in decision-making positions in Government, public enterprises, statutory boards, private businesses and churches. 20. Lord Vaea referred to a question from Slovenia as to whether a gender perspective had been integrated into Tongan policies. He stated that one of the objectives of the Tonga Strategic Development Framework, adopted in 2012, was to create strong inclusive communities by way of improving gender equality by implementing the Tongan Government’s gender development policy. He said that prosecution of domestic violence was carried out without exception and that the Tongan Government was processing a Family Protection Bill. A national study on domestic violence against women was carried out in March 2012. He said that the Public Service Commission had increased the maternity leave period and created paternity leave. He also reported that the Tonga Defence Services now retains soldiers who marry and have children, and that there were women commissioned officers in the Tonga Defence Services and the Tonga Police. 21. Lord Vaea referred to a question from the United Kingdom as to why Tonga had not ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and about plans to become a party to the Convention. Lord Vaea said that in December 2011, Tonga had decided to ratify the Convention with reservations, following a nationwide consultation to reach a consensus on the reservations and the way forward for ratification. He then explained the privileges that women enjoyed as part of Tongan social life and said that any change would have to be managed carefully so as not to change Tongan culture drastically and to avoid disharmony. He stated that it was hoped that the consultation would be completed together with the enactment of the Family Protection Bill. 22. Referring to a question from Spain as to what issues the reservations to the Convention would cover, Lord Vaea said that they would likely cover succession rights, abortion, land ownership and same sex marriage. He highlighted that these were all sensitive issues in Tonga which needed to be fully canvassed by all stakeholders before the Convention can be ratified. 23. Referring to a question from Norway as to measures taken by Tonga to ensure equality between men and women in relation to ownership of land and property, Lord Vaea stated that the right of women to land was still an issue under consideration, given Tongan culture and the current land tenure system. However, he stated that a Royal Commission of Inquiry had made recommendations to amend the land laws to allow women more access to land. 24. Regarding the promotion and protection of human rights, education and public awareness, Lord Vaea reported that Tonga had undertaken numerous training programmes, with the assistance of specialized regional organizations and donor agencies. Tonga was also taking new initiatives to improve human rights for its citizens, such as the adoption of a freedom of information policy; proposed access to free legal representation and maintaining a high ranking in the UNDP human development index. Lord Vaea also reported that Tonga had benefited from human rights education and public awareness programmes offered by the Pacific Regional Rights Resource Team of the South Pacific Community, the Governments of New Zealand and Australia and UNDP. 25. Regarding ratification of the core international human rights treaties and optional protocols, Lord Vaea stated that Tonga had not ratified the core human rights treaties and referred to the explanation given at the start of the presentation. He requested the Member 6