A/HRC/18/14 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 eleventh session from 2 to 13 May 2011. The review of Samoa was held at the 12th meeting on 9 May 2011. The delegation of Samoa was headed by Fonotoe Nuafesili P. Lauofo, Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa. At its 16th meeting, held on 11 May 2011, the Working Group adopted the report on Samoa. 2. On 21 June 2010, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Samoa: Bangladesh, Poland, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to resolution 5/1, the following documents were issued for the review of Samoa: (a) A national report submitted and a written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/11/WSM/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.6/11/WSM/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/11/WSM/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by the Czech Republic, Latvia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom was transmitted to Samoa 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. Samoa continued to uphold, promote and protect the human rights of its people consistent with its cultural and environmental context. As a small island and least developed State, Samoa acknowledged the challenges it faced in realizing human rights for its people and the importance of working together in a concerted manner with the international community to that end. 6. Samoa highlighted some of the salient elements of the promotion and protection of human rights in the country and responded to the advance questions it had received from the Czech Republic, Latvia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. 7. Concerning training of police officers on human rights issues, Samoa indicated that the Ministry of Police and Prisons had incorporated various training programmes on human rights issues for all police officers and that such training had also formed part of the police force’s pre-deployment preparations for United Nations peacekeeping missions abroad. 8. On the establishment of a national human rights institution, Samoa would continue to work closely with its development partners and regional institutions in the development and establishment of a model that would best suit the culture and existing policy and legal framework of Samoa. 9. On the question of the decriminalization of abortion, Samoa explained that the Crimes Ordinance 1961 was currently being reviewed by the Samoa Law Reform 3