A/HRC/25/16 trafficking, neglect and abuse. One of the Government’s main priorities was children’s access to education. Compulsory education up to the age of 16 was free of charge. 17. In recent years the authorities had paid particular attention to the fight against trafficking in persons in general and in children in particular. The Congo had also undertaken to take action at the regional level, in cooperation with certain bilateral partners. 18. The Minister said that the exercise of civil and political rights was guaranteed by the Constitution and laws. During elections those rights took on particular importance. After its first universal periodic review, the Congo had held presidential elections in 2009 and parliamentary elections in 2012. During those elections, freedom of the press and freedom of expression had been guaranteed as well as equal treatment of candidates in terms of media coverage. 19. He said that the favourable economic conditions that the Congo was experiencing had allowed for the realization of certain economic, social and cultural rights, including the payment of 21 months of wage arrears to State officials, the lifting of measures adopted in 1994 as part of structural adjustment programmes negotiated with the Bretton Woods institutions and a review of the salaries of State employees. 20. Significant progress had been made in the field of education where substantial resources had been committed to strengthening admission capacities and academic facilities in schools and universities. He said that the Congo had reached an enrolment rate of over 82 per cent and allocated 3 per cent of its GDP to education, in other words, 12 per cent of the national budget. 21. In the field of health, specific measures had been taken, inter alia, to provide free malaria and tuberculosis treatment for children from 0 to 15 years, caesarean sections in ectopic pregnancies, as well as support for people living with HIV/AIDS. Vaccination coverage was close to 90 per cent for children aged 0 to 5 years. 22. The State had invested more than 1 billion euros in electricity production, bringing the installed capacity from 89 to 607.5 megawatts. 23. He added that in view of the poor access to drinking water (45 per cent in urban areas and 14 per cent in rural areas) since 2002, the State had made considerable efforts to improve the water supply in the main cities of the country and also to build new water supply systems in smaller towns and rural areas. From 2005 to 2012, investments of more than 1 billion euros had been made. 24. The head of the delegation said that, in 2010, the national human rights commission had acquired B status from the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights. Since 2010, the Government had started work on the construction of the headquarters of the commission so that it had appropriate working conditions. He concluded by saying that the Government intended to introduce certain reforms so that the commission would be awarded A status. B. Interactive dialogue and responses by the State under review 25. During the interactive dialogue, 73 delegations made statements. Recommendations made during the dialogue are to be found in chapter II of the present report. 26. Libya commended the accession by the Congo to several international human rights instruments and protocols. It noted that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had welcomed the commitment to measures protecting stateless persons. It made recommendations. GE.14-10049 5