A/HRC/18/17 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 of 18 June 2007, held its eleventh session from 2 to 13 May 2011. The review of Hungary was held at the 15th meeting on 11 May 2011. The delegation of Hungary was headed by Zoltan Balog, Minister of State for Social Inclusion, Ministry of Public Administration and Justice. At its 17th meeting, held on 13 May 2011, the Working Group adopted the report on Hungary. 2. On 21 June 2010, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Hungary: France, Gabon, Ukraine. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to resolution 5/1, the following documents were issued for the review of Hungary: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/11/HUN/1); (b) A compilation prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/11/HUN/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/11/HUN/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden. Switzerland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was transmitted to Hungary through the troika. These questions are available on the extranet of the UPR. I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. The delegation expressed its conviction that Hungary’s first universal periodic review and the follow-up would further strengthen its human rights record. The delegation reported that a wide range of civil-society representatives were consulted with during the national report preparation. 6. Hungary had launched a series of international conferences in 2008, called the Budapest Human Rights Forum, which covered a range of human rights issues. During the 3rd Forum in 2010, the Deed of the Foundation for the International Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities was signed by the Central European University and the Gáspár Károli University of the Hungarian Reformed Church. 7. The delegation noted that the adoption of a new Constitution by the Parliament in April 2011 represented a milestone for the development of the rule of law and marked the end of the transitional period from dictatorship to democracy. The new Constitution strengthened the protection of human rights inspired by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and contained a more extensive list of rights than before. The new Constitution stipulated that marriage was an institution between a man and a woman, however the rights of same-sex couples in a registered partnership were protected to the same extent as those of heterosexual couples. The new Constitution also strengthened and widened the function of the Constitutional Court by introducing the constitutional right to launch a complaint before it by individuals. 3