A/HRC/33/62 VIII. Participation in political process 52. Cambodia will hold local commune/sangkat elections in June 2017, after which commune councillors will elect the members of the Senate. Elections to the National Assembly are scheduled for 2018. The National Election Committee was reconstituted in 2015, comprising four representatives from each main political party with seats in Parliament and an independent representative of civil society. Its mandate focuses on the forthcoming elections. 53. During her mission in March 2016, the Special Rapporteur met with the members of the National Election Committee and enquired about the status of plans on voter registration. For the first time, an electronic process will be used, with the support of the European Union and Japan, whose main contribution will be providing equipment and technical expertise for issuing the new biometric identity cards to be used for voter registration. The task of registering and issuing cards is substantial; there are approximately 10 million Cambodians, and the voter list was among the controversial aspects of the election held in 2013. The Human Rights Committee has expressed its concern over the right to vote of convicted prisoners and persons with psychosocial disabilities (see CCPR/C/KHM/CO/2, para. 26). In addition, the Special Rapporteur was informed about the difficulties encountered, and likely to be encountered, by migrant workers, persons with disabilities, persons in pretrial detention, recently relocated persons and homeless persons in securing identity cards and registering to vote. Sustainable Development Goal target 16.7 promotes inclusive, participatory decision-making. It is imperative that the Government allocate appropriate funding and technical assistance to ensure that every eligible person has the opportunity to participate in the forthcoming elections, in accordance with article 25 (b) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The voter list should be validated and registration completed expeditiously. 54. During a number of meetings with government ministers and senior members of the Senate and National Assembly, the Special Rapporteur raised the issue of increasing the diversity of representation in Parliament. More women, members of indigenous peoples, disabled persons and other marginalized groups could be represented in political decisionmaking bodies. The Special Rapporteur is aware of many of the real and perceived barriers to broadening participation; the treaties that Cambodia has freely accepted nevertheless describe the requirements of a fully representative democratic society. In this regard, voter and civic education programmes could assist in breaking down barriers by developing and deepening popular understanding of the role of commune/sangkat and National Assembly representatives. The National Election Committee indicated to the Special Rapporteur that it would welcome support for human rights education for voters. A better informed electorate will be able to more effectively exercise its right to political participation. 55. As noted above, there are specific concerns among many stakeholders with regard to the credibility of the 2017 and 2018 elections owing to the current political situation in the country. Should the political situation not be stabilized in an environment of respect for all human rights, such concerns will be justified. IX. Treaty body reporting and the universal periodic review 56. Cambodia has a number of periodic reports due to the treaty bodies. The Special Rapporteur notes that reporting duties are spread among government ministries and specific bodies, and draw on a range of ministries and other stakeholders. Specific crossgovernment bodies oversee the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms 16