A/HRC/16/12 51. The Marshall Islands also noted that a new draft Criminal Code, which was based on the model Penal Code of the United States, was expected to be adopted early next year and would address many issues that had been raised during the dialogue. 52. With regard to the ratification of international instruments, the Marshall Islands noted that it indeed intended to attend to the issue, but that further action also depended on resources. 53. On the question of women’s rights, the Marshall Islands noted that it was working with an umbrella organization, Women United Together, which represented various women’s groups in the country and was aimed at educating and providing information about pertinent issues. It was funded by a United Nations trust fund, and the hope was expressed that the studies and projects conducted within this cooperation framework would address the issues that had been raised. The Marshall Islands also noted that, although this was not evident from the composition of the delegation, a considerable number of women held prominent and high-level positions in the Marshall Islands. In addition, the local culture assigned a privileged position to women, insofar as title to land was passed through the maternal line. 54. Concerning questions related to the rights of the child, the Marshall Islands was currently working with the United Nations Children’s Fund on child protection baseline research. This research included a review of child protection legislation and regulatory compliance, institutional stocktaking of child protection and social welfare systems as well as inter-agency collaboration; and assessment of current knowledge, attitudes and practices on key child protection issues. The research would give the Marshall Islands an opportunity to determine the extent of sexual violence and abuse against children and enable it to take additional action to address concerns in that area. 55. In conclusion, the Marshall Islands emphasized that it appreciated the opportunity provided by this review process and that it looked forward to continued engagement. II. Conclusions and/or recommendations 56. The following recommendations will be examined by the Republic of the Marshall Islands, which will provide responses in due course, but no later than the 16th session of the Human Rights Council, in March 2011: 56.1. Adhere to the principles of the main human rights treaties and favourably consider ratifying them within a reasonably short period of time (Mexico); continue efforts to ratify the main international human rights treaties, and follow a realistic approach in this regard (Chile); 56.2. Examine the possibility of acceding to the two fundamental international human rights covenants, and request technical assistance from OHCHR in order to fulfil the obligations that this would entail (Algeria); 56.3. Take the necessary steps to pursue the signature, ratification and implementation of major international human rights instruments and, as a first priority, sign ICCPR and ICESCR, with a view to early ratification (Canada); reinforce its legal framework by acceding to international covenants for the promotion and protection of human rights to which it is not yet a party, in particular ICCPR and ICESCR (France); ratify both the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (New Zealand); accede to the core international human rights instruments, namely ICCPR and ICESCR (Maldives); 11