A/HRC/17/13 commitments. Many steps remain to be taken to improve the human rights situation, which also requires time and better economic, social and political conditions. 9. The delegation indicated that the Constitution of Sao Tome and Principe recognized civil and political rights – such as the right to life and the right to liberty –, economic, social and cultural rights, and collective rights, such as the right of peoples to self-determination. 10. The delegation stated that the policies and laws approved in recent years had been prompted by social demands which had evolved in accordance with cultural and social developments. 11. Responding to advance questions raised by Germany and Latvia, the delegation referred to several measures which have been adopted to improve the access of rural children to education, such as improvement of access to primary and secondary school for all children, enhancement of educational opportunities for juveniles and adults, sensitization of families about the importance of education, creation of new infrastructure, enlargement of education to early childhood, adoption of measures to ensure mandatory education for at least 9 years, creation of non-formal education spaces in partnership with NGOs, improvement of the quality of training provided to teachers, and creation of scholarships. 12. With regard to the question raised by Latvia on the issue of extending a standing invitation to special procedures, the delegation indicated that the matter would be brought to the attention of the relevant authorities in Sao Tome and Principe, and that an invitation would be extended in the upcoming months. 13. Regarding prison conditions, the delegation stated that penitentiary policies were in line with international standards. Since the 1990 reforms, efforts have been made to comply with the United Nations Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners. In 2003, the law on sentencing and incarcerating measures was adopted to fill existing legal gaps. The law provides for prisoners to be treated with dignity and not be subjected to any form of illtreatment. The internal regulations of the prisons, in force since June 2008, reinforce the principles already provided for in the law. The delegation added that the basic principles for ensuring the life of prisoners were respected in Sao Tome and Principe, and that the main challenge which remained was the lack of adequate infrastructure, which sometimes prevented the separation of persons awaiting trial from those already convicted. The delegation stated that the Government was developing a project to built new prison facilities. 14. The delegation indicated that freedom of expression was guaranteed by articles 29 and 30 of the Constitution of Sao Tome and Principe, and by several provisions of the Press Law and its amendments. Previous censorship was outlawed, and both the Constitution and relevant laws expressly state under which circumstances restrictions may be imposed. Article 23 of the Press Law also guarantees the exercise of freedom of the press by private media. Besides public radios, there were three private radios, and two community radios have recently been established. Foreign television and private journals were also accessible. 15. With regard to advance questions raised by Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning the ratification of several international instruments, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the delegation explained that the Constitution of Sao Tome and Principe and legislation adopted to date had already incorporated the principles of the above-mentioned instruments. Sao Tome and Principe’s legislative reform policy envisaged the following goals: harmonization of domestic legislation with international instruments, review of the Civil Code and the Civil Procedure Law, and accession to all international instruments which provide for the fight against 4