A/HRC/32/52 C. Political situation 17. Political dialogue between the Government and the opposition continues and is now considered routine among Ivorian political actors. This state of affairs was welcomed by the Security Council in its resolution 2284 (2016) and is also applauded by the Independent Expert. Against this backdrop of political openness, legislation is being drafted to confer a special status upon opposition leaders who do well in the elections and to subsidize the activities of the opposition. This legal recognition of the important role that can be played by the opposition highlights the Government’s interest in fostering a plurality of political opinion and could be an important step towards the institutionalization of dialogue in a peaceful and responsible social climate. 18. The new Administration, whose 36 members were appointed on 12 January 2016, includes nine female ministers, thereby increasing female representation within the Government from 11 per cent to 25 per cent. Two new ministries have been created that are of central importance for the promotion of human rights: the Ministry of Solidarity, Social Cohesion and Victim Compensation and the Ministry of Human Rights and Civil Liberties. The country is preparing to organize parliamentary elections and a referendum on the reform of the Constitution, in principle in 2016. 19. The Independent Electoral Commission is a permanent constitutional body responsible for organizing elections in Côte d’Ivoire. It played a pivotal role in the organization of the 2015 presidential elections. At present, the Commission is preparing for the parliamentary elections that are to be held in 2016; the Commission will propose a specific date for the elections to the Government for approval. It is also tasked with organizing the referendum on amendments to the Constitution, which is tentatively scheduled for 2016 as well. Local elections will be held in 2018 upon the completion of the term of office of the present local elected officials. 20. The task of organizing parliamentary elections may be as delicate, if not more so, than that of organizing presidential elections. The Independent Electoral Commission faces constant challenges as it seeks to ensure that ballots are cast under conditions of transparency and fairness and to help to maintain a dialogue between the various parties. The training of the Commission’s staff is ongoing, and support from the country’s partners for training activities would help to ensure that the challenges faced by the Commission are dealt with as successfully as possible. III. Status of human rights institutions A. Ministry of Human Rights and Civil Liberties 21. The creation of the Ministry of Human Rights and Civil Liberties demonstrates that the authorities of Côte d’Ivoire understand the central role of human rights in economic and human development. The newly established Ministry, whose structure is still being finalized, should be provided with the logistical support and human resources necessary for it to carry out its important work. The Ministry could take advantage of the impending departure of UNOCI (and its Human Rights Division) to recruit national personnel with practical experience in the field of human rights. 22. The role of the Ministry of Human Rights and Civil Liberties, which will be outlined in its governing legislation and regulations, should focus on implementing the human rights commitments of Côte d’Ivoire. The Government has accepted virtually all of the recommendations issued by the Human Rights Council under the universal periodic review and has also recently submitted its periodic report to the Human Rights Committee GE.16-10958 7