A/HRC/34/5 7. In its report, the Syrian Arab Republic had described the normative and institutional framework for the promotion of human rights, highlighting the Constitution adopted in 2012 and the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights it enshrined. It had also described the impact of the crisis on human rights and the exceptional circumstances in which the Government was seeking to comply with its obligations. It had reviewed the impact of terrorism on the rights to life, security, dignity, health, education, employment, food and a decent standard of living. It had provided information on the systematic destruction of basic facilities and of public and private property by terrorists; the methods adopted to perpetrate manslaughter, enslavement, bondage and forced labour; violations of the rights to freedom of religion and belief and to celebrate religious rites; forced and child marriage; the recruitment of children; systematic kidnapping; and collective punishment through deprivation of water and electricity. It had highlighted the impact of unilateral coercive measures on Syrian citizens’ enjoyment of the rights to housing, food, medicines, health care, education, transport and development, as well as the scale of human loss resulting from air raids conducted by the illegal alliance led by the United States under the pretext of combating terrorism. 8. Steps had been taken to implement a comprehensive national reform programme and adopt laws in support of democracy and human rights. The Constitution served as a guideline for State action and State institutions and as a source of legislation. It enshrined the basic principles of independence and sovereignty, the rule of the people based on elections, political pluralism, protection of national unity, cultural diversity, public freedoms, human rights, social justice, equality of opportunity, citizenship and the rule of law. 9. The Government had organized and engaged in several rounds of dialogue among Syrians. In parallel with its efforts to combat terrorism, the Government had opted for national reconciliation in order to halt the shedding of Syrian blood and to restore normal living conditions and public services to areas cleared of armed groups. The reconciliation process had produced results in a number of areas and amnesty decrees had been adopted. The most recent was decree No. 15, which had been issued on 28 July 2016 by the President, Bashar al-Assad, and then extended for three months on 27 October 2016. 10. As for the accepted recommendations calling for a peaceful settlement based on a national dialogue, the Government had entered into an inter-Syrian dialogue with a view to achieving a political settlement to the crisis that would enable Syrians to exercise their inalienable right to determine the future of their country without foreign interference. The Government continued to advocate seriously for a comprehensive national dialogue involving all Syrians, as the only means, alongside combating terrorism, of ending the crisis. 11. As for the development of national legislation, a legal reform plan developed in 2012 had provided for the review and enactment of several laws pertaining to women’s and children’s rights and to civil and political rights. The Code of Civil Procedure had been amended, steps had been taken to amend the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure and the draft law on children’s rights had almost been completed. Practical steps had been taken to implement the act on combating trafficking in persons and to criminalize the involvement of children in armed conflict. 12. With regard to cooperation with the Human Rights Council mechanisms, the Government had hosted the Special Rapporteurs on the human rights of internally displaced persons, on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and on the right to food. It was considering requests for visits from the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, and the Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination. It had invited the 4