A/HRC/30/8 safety of journalists. The Media Council and the Broadcasting Commission were tasked with protecting freedom of expression. The challenge to the Government was to balance that broad freedom with the guarantee of individual liberty. 10. In parallel to domestic reform, Maldives pursued an activist policy of promoting its international human rights obligations. Since 2005, it has joined seven of the nine core human rights conventions and five optional protocols, ratified the Rome Statute, eight fundamental International Labour Organization conventions, issued a standing invitation to all United Nations special procedures mandate holders and hosted six visits of rapporteurs. 11. Maldives had been a Muslim country for 800 years. Its social framework and historic and traditional values, which had evolved over the decades, were intimately linked to Islamic practices. Islamic values were part of the national identity and heritage, and formed the basis of the Constitution and all Maldivian laws. Calls to introduce values and practices that were contrary to the values of Islam, such as non-traditional forms of families and those related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, would not be entertained by the people of Maldives. The basic belief in Islam as an integral part of the Maldivian identity would not change, although the country continued to allow non-Maldivians to practice their own faith in private. 12. The human rights policy of the President, Abdulla Yameen, was guided by the belief that, although providing a basic framework, human rights were not just about international instruments or pieces of law. Human rights was a matter of belief that needed to be carefully cultivated and nurtured, and needed space and time to grow organically and become valued and cherished traditions in the societies concerned. 13. The new school curriculum, which offered civic education in order to cultivate values and belief in human rights, was an integral part of the successful story of the education sector. Maldives offered free education up to the higher secondary level, free textbooks and stationery, and free local and international exams. 14. Maldives had introduced universal health insurance for people of all socioeconomic backgrounds. Its maternal and infant mortality rates were on par with those of developed countries and well above the global average. Diseases that could be prevented through vaccinations, such as neonatal tetanus, whooping cough, polio and diphtheria, were nonexistent; malaria had been successfully controlled for decades; the prevalence of HIV/AIDS continued to be low; and there was sustained investment in improving the quality of access to and delivery of health services. 15. Successive governments had adopted social housing schemes as the best way to provide affordable housing to all. Over the past few years, the Government had built over 2,600 housing units, meeting the housing needs of over 17,000 people. 16. The Government had prioritized skills development and job creation for the youth. Over the past 17 months, more than 7,000 jobs had been created and several skills development programmes have been launched. 17. The Government believed in addressing the growing problems of drug abuse and gang violence by empowering the youth. The enactment of the Drugs Act and the AntiGang Violence Act provided the legal framework for dealing with those issues. A separate court had been established under the Drugs Act, to hear drug related cases, and there was a conscious shift in policy towards rehabilitation and the reintegration of addicts into society through drug rehabilitation centres across the country. The Government had criminalized gang violence and organized crime and moved rapidly to correct the infringement of human rights through gang activities. 18. Maldives had always maintained a policy of moderation and openness, rejected all forms of extremism and introversion, as well as radical interpretations of Islam, and 4