A/HRC/16/6 16. The right to health care, particularly maternal and infant health care in indigenous and rural areas, was one of the main concerns of the national Government. The Administration had adopted policies aimed at the swifter achievement of the Millennium Development Goals related to health. Regarding persons with HIV/AIDS, the delegation noted the fact that antiretroviral treatment was now free and covered more than 70 per cent of reported cases. Moreover, HIV exams had been eliminated as a requirement for migratory purposes, so there were no longer restrictions on the entrance, stay or residency in Panama of persons with HIV/AIDS. 17. The delegation reported that the Millennium Development Goal regarding universal primary education access had been achieved in 2003. Currently, the challenge was to reduce the school drop-out rate and to improve the quality of education. Panama had also achieved the Millennium Development Goal related to equal access to primary and secondary education for women. 18. The Government had recognized that the trafficking in persons was a problem. Therefore, it had established a drafting commission to submit, at the end of the year, a bill to combat trafficking. Furthermore, a law enacted in May 2008 had specifically provided that refugees who had lived more than 10 years in Panama could become permanent residents. 19. Freedom of expression was protected and promoted by the Government. Under the Penal Code of 2008, discussions, criticisms and opinions about the acts or omissions of public officers were no longer considered crimes. The delegation highlighted the fact that in Panama there was no policy aimed at persecuting journalists. Moreover, Panama had made significant legislative progress in the area of freedom of expression as a result of a notable consensus, as it had been recognized by the inter-American human rights system. 20. The Panamanian Administration was aware of its historical responsibility towards indigenous peoples and had enacted specific legislation at both the constitutional and the legal levels that recognized their cultural heritage. The Government had established an inter-agency committee to study the possibility of ratifying ILO Convention No. 169. The committee had recommended its ratification by Panama. 21. With regard to the events of Bocas del Toro of July 2010, the Government regretted the loss of human lives, the injuries and the damage to public and private property. The Government had promoted dialogue and had signed the agreement of Changuinola on 11 July 2010. 22. The judiciary had implemented a plan to address its increased caseload. As a result, between January and September, 11,814 cases had been resolved. Moreover, the use of alternative means of conflict resolution had increased, and the new criminal procedural system would progressively enter into force in 2011. 23. The delegation concluded by reaffirming its commitment to the protection of human rights and noted that it needed to improve continuously in that area. Therefore, it would consider the recommendations received during the universal periodic review as a guide and support in improving the culture of coexistence and understanding as a cornerstone of the promotion of human rights. B. Interactive dialogue and responses by the State under review 24. During the interactive dialogue, 34 delegations made statements. A number of them expressed appreciation for the comprehensive presentation of the national report. Recommendations made during the dialogue are found in section II of the present report. 5