A/HRC/42/16/Add.1 4. The independence and autonomy of the branches of government will continue to be guaranteed, in compliance with the law. All institutions, including the Office of the Human Rights Advocate, will be supported in order to continue promoting and defending the human rights of Nicaraguans in a harmonious and coordinated manner. (125.37 to 125.41, 125.43, 125.45, 125.46, 125.95, 125.105) 5. Since 2008, the Government of Nicaragua has been implementing national human development plans and programmes, which have helped to restore the human rights of the Nicaraguan people. Work will continue to be carried out to foster development with social justice, leadership of youth and families and gender equity and to ensure security, education, health, energy, and water, among other things. (125.187, 125.192, 125.194, 125.195, 125.200) 6. The efforts made to advance the nation’s socioeconomic development and reduce inequality will continue; these efforts have allowed us to become an exemplary economy at the regional level, having reduced overall poverty from 29.6 per cent in 2014 to 24.9 per cent in 2016 and extreme poverty from 8.3 per cent in 2014 to 6.9 per cent in 2016. We will continue striving to enhance the well-being of the people of Nicaragua. (125.179, 125.180, 125.182, 125.193, 125.196, 125.198, 125.199, 125.201, 125.202, 125.205) 7. Free, non-discriminatory health care that is effective, efficient and of high quality will continue to be guaranteed through the family and community health model and the primary care strategy, which has produced tangible results and received international recognition. (125.203, 125.206, 125.209, 125.210, 125.211, 125.212, 125.215, 125.220, 125.181) 8. Efforts to restore the right to education, generally and for specific vulnerable groups, will continue under the National Education Plan (2017–2021), which provides for free, appropriate, accessible, equitable, quality education without discrimination, with efficiency and effectiveness, in both urban and rural areas, delivered through the basic education, secondary education and teacher training subsystem; the technical and vocational education subsystem; the higher education subsystem; and the out-of-school education subsystem and through the Regional Autonomous Education System in the Caribbean coastal region of Nicaragua, which responds to the cultural needs and identity of indigenous peoples and Afro-descendent populations. (125.221 to 125.225, 125.227 to 125.235, 125.190 and 125.257) 9. Food security will continue to be ensured and access to safe drinking water, which is currently available to 92.5 per cent of the urban population and 54.9 per cent of the rural population, will be expanded in both urban and rural areas. (125.188, 125.184, 125.191, 125.178 and 125.186) 10. The Government of Nicaragua will continue addressing housing problems, restoring the right to decent, comfortable and safe housing for Nicaraguans, especially the poorest, under a shared responsibility model that has facilitated the construction of 57,859 new and improved homes, benefiting 236,165 people. (125.177) 11. The State sovereignty and public safety strategy will continue to be pursued in order to ensure the safety of the population, since the strategy has enabled the country to have the best security indices in the region, in an environment of peace, security and tranquillity for citizens. (125.58, 125.61, 125.64) 12. The Government of Nicaragua will continue to work for the human rights, fundamental freedoms and civil and political rights of all Nicaraguans. The difficulties that have arisen in our society, which are similar to those experienced by all nations, will be resolved by peaceful means, through respectful dialogue between the parties, with due regard for national law and institutions. We will continue to strengthen the protection and promotion of freedom of expression, freedom of association, freedom of the press and information and the right to peaceful assembly, in accordance with the law and with all the necessary safeguards. 13. The right to freedom of assembly and to public organization and protest will continue to be guaranteed. As in any other country, these rights must be exercised in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, which exist to ensure safety, public order GE.19-15735 3