A/HRC/31/17 to oversee the process and had requested input from other government institutions and from civil society in order to encourage greater inclusion and the participation of all. 10. A public consultation workshop with the participation of State bodies and civil society organizations had also been organized in support of the drafting process. 11. The delegation stated that protecting and promoting the human rights enshrined in the Constitution of Sao Tome and Principe were the cornersto nes for the construction of an independent, sovereign State committed to building a just, inclusive and cohesive society in which human rights were respected. 12. The delegation emphasized that the consolidation of democracy had brought with it a reinforcement of the rule of law, along with participatory forms of public oversight and a range of structural reforms in various socioeconomic and political fields , as well as in the administration of justice. That progress had been achieved with full respect for international treaties and conventions, integrating and applying the provisions of international human rights instruments in domestic legislation. 13. The delegation stated that the Government was aware that the justice system should be organized to serve its users, prioritizing the specialization of courts so as to give citizens access to a better system of justice. 14. The delegation highlighted that civil society had been involved in the development of public policies, including, in particular, in the p reparation of participatory budgets. 15. In its governance programme, the country’s sixteenth constitutional Government had identified three key problems as priorities: unemployment, which affected a broad segment of the population; the high cost of living, which had a major impact on the most vulnerable population groups; and the ever-widening gap between the rulers and the ruled. 16. The delegation also highlighted that, with support from their development partners, the State authorities had helped make progress in the fight against malaria and tuberculosis. The number of malaria deaths had fallen from 0.009 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2010 to 0.004 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2012. People living with HIV/AIDS had also been receiving better treatment. 17. Sao Tome and Principe faced a number of challenges, including a high rate of unemployment; an underdeveloped, bureaucratic and overcentralized public sector; an inadequately educated and poorly trained workforce; severe social and regional disparities; an external image unfavourable to direct private investment; a persistent inability to concentrate its limited resources; the size of its market; the lack of economic and social infrastructures; and the limited capacities of its private sector. 18. The sixteenth constitutional Government had undertaken to create the conditions necessary for economic diversification and growth; to strengthen the private sector so that it was better equipped to attract foreign direct investment; to ensure efficient management of public finances; to invest in modernizing economic and social infrastructures and strengthening the nation’s social cohesion and its credibility overseas; to adopt transparent government policies; to strengthen local governance, external relations and cooperation; and to optimize human capital in order to lessen the challenges and ensure that human values were effectively promoted and protected. 19. Conscious of the many deficiencies still inherent in the justice system and their adverse effect on economic activity and the population in general, the sixteenth constitutional Government considered it vital to improve the reliability and accessibility of the justice system. 4/25 GE.16-00396