A/HRC/23/13 application of the rule of law and good governance. Although the United Arab Emirates took pride in its achievements, it was never satisfied with the status quo and was strongly committed to further improving the situation. The Government took concerns of any possible violation of human rights very seriously and was constantly working to strengthen its capacity to respond to these. 8. The delegation then outlined measures taken since 2008 to enhance the legislative and institutional frameworks for the promotion of human rights, noting that the Constitution had been amended in 2009, and that the tenure of the Federal National Council members had been extended to four years. 9. He explained that the United Arab Emirates had implemented diverse legislative initiatives, including measures to strengthen the rights of workers and of persons with disabilities, and that it was in the process of adopting a federal law concerning children’s rights. 10. The delegation highlighted that several governmental entities concerned with human rights had been established, and that studies had been carried out on national human rights institutions with a view to informing decisions about the institutional framework in the United Arab Emirates. 11. Noting that the engagement of the United Arab Emirates with the international community in the field of human rights needed to be multifaceted, the United Arab Emirates noted that it was studying the accession to international conventions, in addition to further cooperation with treaty bodies and special procedures, the UPR and the activities of the Human Rights Council. In this vein, the United Arab Emirates had already acceded to various international conventions, including, most recently, the Convention against Torture. The United Arab Emirates would continue to review and actively consider ratification of other international human rights instruments. 12. Furthermore, the United Arab Emirates welcomed visits by United Nations Special Rapporteurs and had received visits by the Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, and the Special Rapporteur on Racism and Racial Discrimination in 2009, and by the Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons in 2012. 13. On labour rights, the delegation explained that the United Arab Emirates had an extensive strategy for safeguarding the rights of workers and improving their work and living conditions, and that it was fully committed to strengthening the rights of workers so that they could enjoy opportunity in the United Arab Emirates, free of any form of abuse or exploitation. Measures to protect labour rights included (a) the conclusion of memoranda of understanding with major labour-exporting countries; (b) regulations protecting the rights of workers in case of disputes with employers; (c) a new wage protection system introduced in 2009; (d) measures guaranteeing decent and safe accommodation for workers; (e) provisions regarding medical care; and (f) rights for workers to move from one job to another without time limitations. In addition, the Government had recently approved a new law to protect domestic workers, which would be issued this year and would afford far greater protection. 14. The delegation further emphasized that the right to practice religion freely was a firmly protected right. 15. Regarding women’s rights, the delegation highlighted the strong record of the United Arab Emirates, noting that women participated meaningfully in every facet of civic and political life, and that in December 2012, the Cabinet had made it compulsory for corporations and Government agencies to include women on their boards of directors. Women also played an important role in the Federal National Council and occupied 4