A/HRC/16/2 2010, the Government had embarked on activities relating to some of the treaties and protocols. The Government had put in place a task force to lead the ratification and accession process of the Palermo Protocol. Drafting of necessary domestic laws would also follow. Micronesia was collaborating with its partners, such as the United States of America, in advancing the Protocol and putting in place the necessary laws. It would be working on ratifying and acceding to other core treaties. 655. Micronesia supported the recommendations to establish a national human rights institution, to pass laws to address domestic violence, to continue to develop advocacy campaigns to raise awareness of the rights of women, and to adopt laws against child exploitation and sexual abuse. It also supported the recommendations to protect women and children. 666. A number of countries had recommended that the Federated States of Micronesia remove its reservations made to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Micronesia’s effort in this area would be towards removing the reservations while taking into account the unique customs, culture and traditions of the Micronesian people. Its people were guardians of these small islands; for generations, they had lived in peace and harmony. Their culture, customs and tradition had sustained them as a people over the years. 667. Micronesians lived in a traditional society where families and extended families were part of the solution to problems. When a child experienced problems, it became the responsibility of the extended family to assist and ensure the child’s welfare and wellbeing. In the Micronesian context, that meant involving an entire village. For this reason, the delegation explained that the recommendations for the establishment of separate homes for children did not enjoy its support. 668. The right to education and to access to health care would continue to be priority areas in Micronesia’s national development efforts. Central to those were the rights of the most vulnerable, such as women, children and persons with disabilities. 669. Environmental protection was an essential and important area. The people of the Federated States of Micronesia relied heavily on the fragile ecosystem for food and sustenance. Any adverse impact on the terrestrial and marine resources would be detrimental to the livelihood of the Micronesians and deprive them of their human rights. The Government would continue its efforts to protect the environment through the Micronesian Challenge initiative of effectively conserving 20 per cent of terrestrial and 30 per cent of marine resources areas. 670. In order for Micronesia to implement the recommendations, it would need the support of its development partners. Over the next four years, Micronesia would be calling on the international community for support, without which its efforts would be compromised. 671. The Government recognized the complexity arising from the uniqueness of its federation. The Government would continue to work with the four States within the federation that had constitutional responsibility for many of the recommendations made. 672. While the universal periodic review had been a welcome exercise, Micronesia acknowledged that it had not been one without its own difficulties and challenges. Capacity constraints and limited financial resources continued to affect its ability to complete effectively the necessary reports or to send delegates to attend the review. 673. In closing, the delegation thanked all of those who had made its review a meaningful and worthwhile undertaking, and the Member States for their honest and constructive views. Micronesia would continue to play its role in advancing the human rights and dignity of all its people. 200 GE.11-17059