A/HRC/23/3 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 of 18 June 2007, held its fifteenth session from 21 January to 1 February 2013. The review of France was held at the 1st meeting on 21 January 2013. The delegation of France was headed by Mr. François Zimeray, Ambassador for Human Rights. At its 10th meeting, held on 25 January 2013, the Working Group adopted the report on France. 2. On 14 January 2013, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of France: Congo, Italy and Kuwait. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to resolution 16/21, the following documents were issued for the review of France: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/15/FRA/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/15/FRA/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/15/FRA/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was transmitted to France through the troika. These questions are available on the extranet of the universal periodic review (UPR). I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. The French delegation recalled the role that human rights had played in building the country and how firmly they were rooted in the country’s institutions. There was always room for progress, and outside scrutiny and criticism were essential to help France be more demanding of itself. 6. The Universal Periodic Review was a vital tool that had lasting effects. A midterm report had been published in 2010. The national report for the second review was the result of consultations with all stakeholders, including civil society. 7. The rights of a person living in France had grown stronger since 2008. Until very recently, the constitutionality of a law could be examined only before it came into force, except in certain very specific conditions. Since the major reform of the Constitution, anyone who brought a case before a court in France could claim that a law already in force infringed on the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. 8. If a person living in France considered that his or her rights had been infringed by the work of a public administration, there was now a single institution to which he or she could apply, for free: the Defender of Rights, established in March 2011, which brought together tasks that had previously been assigned to other independent administrative bodies. GE.13-12484 3