A/HRC/15/7 Covenant. In response, Lesotho had enacted laws such as the Legal Capacity of Married Persons Act 2006, which ruled out discrimination against women in marriage, and the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which addressed areas under the common law offence of rape. The Committee had also commented on the need to improve conditions of prisons, and the delegation had stated that conditions were being improved through renovations. 9. The Committee on the Rights of the Child had recommended that the Children’s Protection Act 1980 be brought into conformity with the principles of CRC. Consequently, a comprehensive children’s protection and welfare bill had recently been forwarded to Parliament. 10. The delegation noted that CERD had been concerned by the absence of a comprehensive legislative framework prohibiting acts of racial discrimination and by the lack of effective remedies. The Race Relations Order 1971 had then been amended to include provisions for the teaching of tolerance and peaceful coexistence among people of diverse origins. 11. The delegation indicated that, in an attempt to make Parliament more responsive to the needs of the population, some reform measures had been introduced, and it now had portfolio committees that monitored ministries and facilitated people’s participation in law making, policy formulation and the fielding of proposals. 12. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is empowered to conduct free and fair elections and referendums. The delegation highlighted the fact that the IEC was independent and that it had organized the first National Assembly elections in 1998 and subsequent elections in 2002 and 2007. The delegation noted that all had been declared free and fair by domestic, regional and international observers. 13. The Office of the Ombudsman complemented the work of the judiciary as a constitutional body, mandated to investigate all allegations involving acts perpetrated by Government agencies. The enforcement of the Ombudsman’s recommendations was overseen by Parliament and was working well. 14. The delegation noted that Lesotho retained the death penalty solely for the following offences: murder, treason and rape. However, there were appropriate safeguards. Capital punishment had not been carried out since 1995, and most sentences had been commuted to terms of life or long imprisonment. 15. Lesotho noted that it had witnessed an increase in human trafficking involving women and children, and that plans were under way to establish a legislative framework for addressing this. 16. The delegation indicated that Lesotho’s achievements included high literacy rates and the adoption of the Mixed Member Proportional Representation Electoral Model. The Government had also taken steps to empower women politically; hence, the Local Government Act in 2004 had been amended to allocate 30 per cent of the seats in the Local Councils to women, and 58 per cent representation of women had actually been achieved. 17. Regarding the HIV/AIDS pandemic, various efforts have been undertaken, including voluntary counselling and testing and the establishment of the National Aids Commission. An HIV/AIDS Bill is under preparation and will provide a legal framework for interventions. Despite resource limitations, the poor are afforded free access to available health services. 18. Lesotho continues to be beset by a decline in agricultural production as a result of soil erosion and periodic droughts. As a result, the country is experiencing a worsening food deficit and widening poverty and food insecurity. Despite those setbacks and negative 4