A/HRC/29/9 The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (Protocol on Trafficking in Persons) had been incorporated into the national framework through the enactment of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, 2011. A National Anti-Trafficking in Persons Strategic Framework and Action Plan 2014–2016 had been officially launched in July 2014. The Children’s Protection and Welfare Act, enacted in 2011 incorporated both the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child into the national framework. 9. In 2011, Lesotho had presented its report on the implementation of the Convention on All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) to the CEDAW Committee. The report on the Convention on the Rights of the Child had been submitted to the relevant Committee. Draft reports on the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment (CAT), were awaiting Cabinet approval. Once approved, the reports would be submitted to the respective treaty monitoring bodies. The draft report on the International Covenant on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination was awaiting validation by stakeholders. 10. At the regional level, the report on the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child had been submitted, while the report on the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights was awaiting stakeholders’ validation before submission to Cabinet for approval. That was a clear indication that, despite resource constraints, Lesotho was making great effort to report under the various treaties. 11. Plans to set up a Human Rights Commission were under way. In 2011, the 6th Amendment to the Constitution, enshrining the establishment of the Human Rights Commission, had been passed by Parliament. A Human Rights Commission Bill was in place and had been awarded a certificate of approval from the Attorney General’s Chambers. The Bill had also been considered by Cabinet and would be presented before the 9th Parliament for promulgation into law. The Government would continue to strive towards the operationalization of the Commission. Workshops had been held for the media, members of Parliament, youth, inmates and correctional service staff on the work of the Commission envisaged. 12. Workshops had been held for persons with disabilities, teachers, members of Parliament and the judiciary for the purposes of highlighting human rights issues. To mark International Human Rights Day, the Minister had delivered a statement on the theme of the year. Gatherings to discuss various thematic areas of human rights had also been held for the general public. 13. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights had visited Lesotho on a promotional mission in 2012. The mission had comprised the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information and the Special Rapporteur on Prisons and Places of Detention in Africa. Their recommendations were presently being implemented by government. 14. Poverty was rife, with more than half of the population living below the poverty line. That was mainly to due to land degradation and climate change; particularly persistent drought, flooding and early frost which had caused low agricultural productivity in recent years. The worsening food deficit, as well as the increasing retrenchment of Basotho working abroad contributed to poverty. 15. To address the problem of agricultural decline, in the 2013–14 financial year, the Ministry of Agriculture had been allocated a 43 per cent increase in budget, which had enabled the subsidising of agricultural inputs such as seed, fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides. Poverty reduction programmes and policies had been designed, such as the 4