A/HRC/8/52 page 167 facing. They recommended that the Philippines involve civil society more directly at high levels of Government, including through an oversight committee of civil society in seeking ways and means to search for the missing victims and to get to the root of why those killings were taking place. They recommended that the authorities address the root causes for those assassinations and that they look for disappeared persons, and implement the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur and other special procedures on that issue. 484. The Asian Legal Resource Centre welcomed the importance given in the Working Group report to the need for the Government to provide evidence of concrete results concerning its promises to address extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. The Asian Legal Resource Centre noted that the chief of the human rights office had admitted that he and his staff had never gone to the field to investigate allegations of killings. The Asian Legal Resource Centre hoped that the Government would provide information on the implementation of the recommendations made by the Melo commission and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial killings. It appreciated the recommendation for the reform of the judiciary and the armed forces, noting that independent investigations and fair trials were the only way to keep up real momentum in addressing those killings and other serious abuses. It also welcomed the repeated requests for the need to ratify the Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture as a starting point which needed to lead to verifiable implementation and regular Government reporting. 4. Views expressed by the State under review on the outcome and concluding remarks 485. The Permanent Representative of the Philippines, in her concluding remarks, said that it was an honour to be one of the first countries to go through the universal periodic review process. It had been an important learning experience. The recommendations would be used to strengthen the national institutions and policies of the Philippines aimed at bringing better and fuller protection of human rights for all Filipinos. The Philippines had listened to all stakeholders and would keep in mind their suggestions when strengthening and addressing human rights issues in the country. Thanks went to the troika members and secretariat for their support and patience throughout the process, as well as to the national human rights institution, to all non-governmental organizations and members of civil society for their comments and suggestions. 486. The Permanent Representative congratulated the Council on the successful conduct of the universal periodic review. Its positive atmosphere and outcome showed that it was possible to discuss and analyse country situations in a constructive and cooperative manner. More importantly, through the universal periodic review, they had seen that all countries, regardless of the level of development, demography, or geography, faced similar challenges in effectively implementing human rights obligations. 487. All countries needed the support of an enabling international environment conducive to the responsible promotion and protection of all human rights for all peoples. Human rights were the universal responsibility and heritage of the Philippines.