A/HRC/18/4 21. In 2008, the Parliament of Greenland requested the Government to consider options regarding the establishment of a human rights capacity in Greenland, taking into account the relatively small size of the Greenland population. 22. It is important to point out that the Government of Greenland is a public government rather than an indigenous self-government. However, with the majority of the population being of Inuit descent, the Government and Parliament of Greenland place great emphasis on the rights of indigenous peoples. 23. One of the first actions of the Government of Greenland was to introduce new legislation on language policy and integration aimed at strengthening the role and use of Greenlandic. 24. The principle of collective ownership to land also applies to natural resources. As such, the Government of Greenland recognizes the importance of civil society involvement in decision making, not least concerning oil and minerals extraction and major development projects. 25. The representative stated that the Government is putting strong emphasis on improving the lives of children and youth in Greenland. Within the framework of the programme “A Safe Childhood 2010,” several initiatives are in progress. The Government of Greenland has substantially increased the grants for shelters for women and children, and family centres. 26. The Government of Greenland is preparing a strategy on children and youth, which will be presented to the Parliament of Greenland later this year. The strategy addresses issues such as failure of care for the child, violence and addiction. 27. Within the framework of the public health programme, “Inuuneritta,” one of the focus areas is violence and sexual health. A wide range of initiatives has already been implemented under this programme. 28. The representative of Faroe Islands stated that human rights and democracy are fundamental values in Faroese society. The democratic system of government and legislative framework continue to provide the basis for the protection of all rights. The general welfare system has contributed to an overall high standard of living in the Faroe Islands. The Government is responsible for all, or most of the costs, related to education, health care, child care, elderly care and pensions. 29. The Faroe Islands have adopted seven United Nations treaties and since 2004, have produced substantial reports documenting the efforts of the Government to ensure human rights. NGOs and civil society have been actively involved in the preparation of the national report. The Faroese Government appreciates the efforts of the NGOs to produce their own submissions. 30. The representative stated that the Government appreciates the opportunity to have a separate section dedicated to the Faroe Islands in Denmark´s report. But with only three pages at their disposal, it was necessary to limit the scope of the contribution and focus on the most critical human rights issues. 31. The representative stated that Faroese society still faces challenges in the area of gender equality. Although the participation of women in politics has increased, women are still not as well represented as men in politics. Resources have been directed at ensuring rights through legal measures by passing the law governing gender equality in 1994. Also, the Government has provided support for public information initiatives by appointing the independent committee Demokratia in 2005. 32. The representative said that on 8 March this year, the Government announced an action plan against violence in the home specifically towards women and children. 5