A/HRC/24/3 7. The delegation stated that the National Commission on the improvement of legislation had developed recommendations to improve existing legislation and draft new laws and regulations by taking into account provisions of the international human rights treaties ratified by Turkmenistan. The Parliament had also taken measures to ensure the conformity of the newly adopted and amended laws with international law. The delegation pointed to several new laws that were adopted in the framework of reforms, including the Criminal Procedural Code and the Family Code, which incorporated the provisions of the relevant international human rights treaties. 8. The delegation pointed out that the Government had paid heightened attention to the penitentiary system. Renovation work had been carried out in the penitentiary institutions and the construction of a new women’s prison would finish in 2013. Medical infrastructure had been improved in prisons and production units had been created to provide new job opportunities for prisoners. Substantial State budget allocations had been made for these efforts. The Government, in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Central Asia, had been implementing a plan of action within the framework of multilateral cooperation in the penitentiary system. According to the Plan, humanitarian visits by ICRC representatives to penitentiary institutions had been carried out since 2011. Monitoring by ICRC found that conditions in juvenile correctional facilities met the international standards. The Government had been studying the possibility of accession to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OP-CAT). 9. Long-term strategic development objectives were defined in a number of policy documents, including the National Programme on Social and Economic Development for 2011-2030 and the National Programme of the President of Turkmenistan on changes to social conditions in villages, cities and regional centres for the period until 2020. The main objective of the latter was to provide people living in rural areas with high quality social and employment conditions similar to urban standards. During the period 2008-2012, US$4.8 billion were allocated from the State budget to carry out large projects in rural areas. New housing units, schools, medical institutions, cultural and sport centres had been constructed as part of those projects. 10. The delegation stated that various measures, including the construction of new medical and sport centres, and the modernization of medical equipment had been carried out to provide quality health care and ensure the well-being of the population, as those remained priority areas under State policy. The Government cooperated with international organizations, including the World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The reform in the education system had been carried out in accordance with the Presidential Decree of 2013, which transformed the school education system from a 10-year to a 12-year system. 11. The delegation stated that the Government had taken measures to create an information-telecommunication infrastructure as well as legal, organizational and financial conditions for the development of an information society. Science and education institutions had been fully equipped with computers. Multimedia centres and school and university students had studied information technology subjects. An e-Governance system had been introduced in the public administration system. Internet services had been made accessible to citizens and educational institutions had been connected to the internet network. 12. The delegation highlighted the fact that Turkmenistan had experienced 11 per cent economic growth in the past five years, which had led to a steady increase in gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. In 2012, GDP per capita had exceeded the standard threshold for countries with an average high level of income. Furthermore, the 2012 population census documented positive changes in the living standards and housing conditions of the population. During the economic crisis Turkmenistan had not renounced 4