A/HRC/15/3 working together on various strategies to address issues related to women, children and disability. The Pacific Prevention of Domestic Violence Project supported the police service with initiatives on domestic violence and sexual offences. The Office of the Attorney-General worked on the Child Protection Baseline Study for 2008-2009 to review existing legislation on child protection and juvenile justice. Furthermore, the Child Protection Legislative Reform Project, which was part of the broader study on gender-based violence and intervention programmes, was a Government initiative to address the issues surrounding violence against women. The Government was also currently working closely with regional organizations to study some of the legislation affecting women. However, financial constraints and a lack of capacity limited the implementation of proposed plans and activities. 13. The delegation stated that, although the Government had incorporated compulsory education into its laws and ensured free education through the junior secondary school level, it was the duty of parents and guardians to comply with the law and ensure that their children attended school. It stated that the Government was faced with that challenge and believed that the responsibility for compliance rested mostly with parents and guardians. 14. The delegation stated that parliament had repealed corporal punishment in educational institutions only. The Government was working in partnership with UNICEF on the possible reform of child protection legislation. The Kiribati National Advisory Committee on Children had been established in 2003; however, financial assistance to support its activities was required. 15. The delegation stated that Kiribati was finalizing its national policy on disability, which would be effective from 2010 to 2013. An action plan had also been drafted and had been attached to the policy. Kiribati was committed to the Biwako Millennium Framework. The national plan had been developed in response to the growing need to address disability issues in the wider community; it was also an attempt to ensure the fulfilment of the Government’s commitments to international and regional endeavours. 16. The delegation noted that national statistics regarding people living with disabilities had been issued as recently as last year. It had been difficult to take useful decisions to facilitate the movement and the education of people living with disabilities. Each island might have a few disabled persons, but their disabilities needed to be documented. The Government continued to support people living with disabilities, through the provision of government land, a “home” and financial resources for the building of a “centre for people living with disabilities” in South Tarawa. 17. The delegation noted that the decline in the standard of quality education throughout Kiribati had been highlighted in several forums. The Education Sector Strategic Plan had been launched in 2008 as a comprehensive Government response whose priority objective was to address the decline. The Government accepted the fact that the training and upskilling of teachers was slow and required further work in order to meet international standards. Several consultations aimed at improving the teaching standards system and appraisal systems had been completed. 18. The delegation further stated that the revision of school curriculums for the primary and secondary levels had been necessary in order to complement university entrance requirements and advanced information technology. Several reports and recommendations had been passed through the Ministry of Education; a number of them addressed the Policy Statement for Early Childhood Education, including primary to secondary education. The Government subsidized education costs, including transportation costs for students. 19. The delegation stated that the Government had sought to consult its stakeholders on climate change through various gatherings. Those consultations had included traditional leaders, women, youth, council clerks and mayors from each island. Special consideration 5