A/HRC/21/16 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 of 18 June 2007, held its thirteenth session from 21 May to 4 June 2012. The review of South Africa was held at the 16th meeting on 31 May 2012. The delegation of South Africa was headed by Andries Nel, Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development. At its 18th meeting, held on 4 June 2012, the Working Group adopted the report on South Africa. 2. On 3 May 2012, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of South Africa: Czech Republic, Maldives and Cameroon. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to Council resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to Council resolution 16/21, the following documents were issued for the review of South Africa: (a) A national report submitted and a written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/13/ZAF/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/13/ZAF/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/13/ZAF/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by the Czech Republic, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was transmitted to South Africa through the troika. These questions are available on the extranet of the universal periodic review (UPR). I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. Andries Nel, Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, conveyed to the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review the warm greetings of the Government and people of South Africa. 6. He stated that South Africa was among the first group of countries to be reviewed under the UPR in 2008 and, therefore, it was with a deep sense of honour that it presented its second report to that mechanism, which was based on the purposes and principles contained in the Charter of the United Nations, including developing friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and achieving international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all. 7. Earlier that year South Africa had celebrated 18 years of democracy that had followed its first democratic elections on 27 April 1994, as well as the fifteenth anniversary of the entry into force of its Constitution on 4 February 1997. 8. The Constitution set out the framework within which to overcome the legacy of apartheid, predicated on the country’s collective desire to heal the divisions of the past and 3