A/HRC/12/50 577. Vanuatu had accepted all recommendations, except for recommendations 2, 3, 5, 7 and part of recommendation 20. Regarding recommendation 2 on the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Vanuatu was not yet prepared to ratify it. The existing legislative framework provided for protection against all forms of discrimination, including racial discrimination, for instance, in article 5 (1) of the Constitution. With regard to recommendations 3, 5 and 7 concerning the ratification of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and accession to the second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on the Civil and Political Rights, Vanuatu was not prepared to ratify them, one of the main reasons being the financial constraints Vanuatu was facing. An appropriate assessment and consultations would be undertaken with a view to ratifying these conventions when deemed appropriate. The second part of recommendation 20 calling for considering applying adequate sanctions for parents who failed to send their children to school was not acceptable to Vanuatu. The delegation stated that Vanuatu was prepared to provide appropriate counselling services to parents who fail to send their children to school. 578. Vanuatu had developed a justice sector strategy for 2009–2014, aimed at promoting and protecting the rights of vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, detainees, women and children. One major challenge was to formulate policies aimed at ensuring the complementarity of human rights/local legislation and custom. The representative stated that the Millennium Development Goals had been taken into consideration in the strategy, which would lead to relevant legislative reforms. Vanuatu had also established a task force with a view to facilitating the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals by ministries and departments. 579. The Department of Correctional Services had taken steps to improve the situation in correctional centres by renovating them and separating high-risk and low-risk detainees. A disciplinary committee for correctional services had also been established to handle complaints relating to the mistreatment of detainees. 580. The Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment was scheduled to visit Vanuatu on 4 December 2009 to discuss the treatment of detainees in the context of international standards. 581. The representative stated that the Family Protection Act had come into effect. Vanuatu had taken positive steps to ensure its full implementation. The Government was working on awareness-raising programmes for the Act in collaboration with a leading nongovernmental organization working on violence against women. Vanuatu also prioritized work on a proposal for the review of all relevant legislations that were discriminatory and that marginalized women. It had established a family protection unit within the police force to deal with domestic violence issues to ensure that all cases were properly investigated. 582. The delegation stated that Vanuatu was seriously considering the setting-up of a human rights commission or unit within the Government to oversee the implementation of universal periodic review recommendations. The Government had already held talks with some international partners for appropriate technical assistance. 2. Views expressed by Member and observer States of the Council on the review outcome 583. Algeria commended Vanuatu’s sustained efforts to promote and protect human rights despite the constraints as a small-island developing State and a least developed country. It invited the international community and the United Nations to provide necessary technical assistance to further enhance this protection. Algeria was encouraged by the measures taken to ensure gender equality, the condition of women and their participation in 150