A/HRC/32/14 37. The United States of America commended the Solomon Islands for its commitment to democracy and free and fair national elections in 2014. It applauded the recent initiatives to reduce domestic violence and support survivors, including through the creation of the SAFENET network, and the enactment of the Family Protection Act. However, it was concerned at the persistence of government corruption and lengthy pretrial detentions, the high levels of gender-based violence, particularly sexual abuse, and that local children and foreign women were often subjected to trafficking, including forced prostitution and domestic servitude. It regretted that women continued to face discrimination across all sectors of society and that there was only one woman Member of Parliament. 38. Uruguay welcomed the adoption of the 2014 Family Protection Act which criminalizes domestic violence and protects its victims. It noted that such measures needed to be accompanied by education and awareness-raising campaigns. Uruguay encouraged Solomon Islands to ensure that all the population benefitted from this Act, particularly in ensuring access to justice. Uruguay encouraged Solomon Islands to interact with the different stakeholders at the national and international levels to move forward with accession to international human rights instruments and the presentation of reports, some of which were overdue. Uruguay was concerned at the lack of legislation to protect persons with disabilities from any form of discrimination, despite the recommendations accepted during the first cycle, and encouraged the adoption of holistic legislation and the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 39. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela noted the progress made to guarantee access to basic services, in particular in the areas of health and education. It welcomed the preparation of the National Development Strategy aimed at mitigating poverty, as well as, inter alia, the gender policies, education action plan and measures to combat violence and discrimination against women. 40. Algeria congratulated Solomon Islands for the progress made since its first review. It noted in particular progress in the areas of immigration and combating human trafficking, transparency in the management of public funding, gender equality and protection of the family and children. It welcomed the adoption of national policies, in the areas of development and the rights of persons with disabilities. 41. Argentina valued the efforts of Solomon Islands to implement recommendations from the first review, in particular those aimed at guaranteeing access to education, through the adoption of the National University Act. It noted the challenges and limitations identified in the national report and mentioned some traditional practices that could still affect the equal participation of members of the society, in particular women. 42. Armenia, while welcoming the measures taken to ratify international human rights treaties and encouraged Solomon Islands to step up efforts regarding the core treaties that have not yet been ratified. Armenia also welcomed the National Strategy for the Economic Empowerment of Women and Girls and the steps to promote education for all. It noted that there were still challenges to be addressed, such as the inadequate education infrastructure, in particular, as it affected girls. 43. On the issue of trafficking, the delegation responded that Solomon Islands was committed to strengthening its border security by reviewing the Immigration Act so that it also covered transnational crimes. 44. The delegation explained that the Political Parties Integrity Act required 10 per cent of political parties’ candidates to be women. Weaknesses in the Act were being reviewed by the Electoral Commission and relevant government institutions. The delegation stated that elections had been held successfully in 2014 under a new biometric system of voting, following assistance from the United Kingdom, the United Nations and Australia. 8