A/HRC/43/6 40. There were a number of legal and procedural safeguards to guide law enforcement authorities in effective investigations and that sought to protect the dignity of persons upon arrest and detention, which were rigorously applied by law enforcement agencies. The national intelligence agency had been stripped of its powers of detention. A new approach to policing based on human rights was being undertaken and a human rights unit had been established in the police force to receive complaints and to respond to incidents of abuse and brutality. A police bill was being drafted to entrench the legal and procedural safeguards in the handling of suspects and to provide a code of conduct for police officers, while also serving to inform the public about what could be expected from the police. 41. A series of concrete measures, including workshops to raise awareness of the prohibition of torture, were being rolled out for law enforcement agencies with the support of international partners. 42. Prisons, while still not up to the desired standards, were far better places of detention than they were under the previous administration. The conditions of detention, including food, bedding and other basic amenities, had significantly improved over the past three years. International organizations were routinely given access to the prisons. New detention facilities were being constructed to mitigate overcrowding of detainees awaiting trial. The Prisons Act was being reviewed. 43. Several rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights were reflected in the 1997 Constitution and in other laws. The Gambia had met the Millennium Development Goals with respect to free primary school enrolment and gender parity. 44. With the support of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) and the Commonwealth Secretariat, all laws that tended to discriminate against women were being reviewed. The delegation expressed the hope that by December 2019, 95 per cent of all discriminatory laws would have been identified and repealed. 45. Where rights, such as the rights to health or to work, had not been explicitly guaranteed in the Constitution, they had been reflected in legislation and policies. 46. Under the national health policy, entitled “Health is Wealth”, the health master plan and the national reproductive health policy, great strides had been made to provide affordable health care at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Under-5 mortality rates had been significantly reduced. Eighty-six per cent of women received antenatal care from a skilled health professional. Significant inroads had been made in the treatment of diseases such as malaria, HIV-related disease and tuberculosis, and in the area of mental health. 47. The Women’s Act of 2010 (as amended) prohibited the practice of female genital mutilation. In 2018, the Ministry of Justice had established a sexual and gender-based violence unit charged with handling all criminal cases of sexual violence and abuse. Members of the unit would receive specialized training in investigation and prosecution and in the handling of victims. 48. There had been an increase in women’s participation in national politics at all levels. The Women’s Bureau, a specialized government department, advised the Government on issues concerning women and girls. Similarly, there was the National Women’s Council, composed of 65 members representing the interests of women countrywide. 49. Empowering women by appointing them to decision-making positions beyond just the political sphere was at the heart of the Government’s policy and was reflected in the judicial appointments of women over the past three years. Women were also included in all of the transitional justice processes, particularly the transformative governance rebuilding activities. 50. Nigeria commended the Government for its ratification of several international human rights instruments and for its efforts to strengthen the legal and institutional framework. 51. Pakistan commended the Government for its measures to improve the status of women in political, social and economic life and for its commitment to the well-being of its people. 5