A/HRC/29/17 for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). 23. The Minister underscored that Kuwait would tirelessly pursue its endeavours to further promote human rights, in accordance with its national plans and objectives and its Arab and Islamic heritage. The Minister then invited members of the delegation to elaborate on some specific issues. 24. The delegation indicated that Kuwait had taken a number of measures to guarantee the rights of women. Article 9 of the Constitution stipulated that the family was the prime entity of society, and article 29 referred to equality between men and women. There was no discrimination on the grounds of race, origin, language or religion. All of those rights were protected by the establishment of the Constitutional Court. Kuwait had also promulgated a number of laws aimed at the protection of women from violence. The Penal Code contained provisions which criminalized violence against women and considered it under aggravating circumstances. The Personal Status Code guaranteed the right of women to request a divorce on the grounds of harm and their right to custody, pension and housing. 25. The Government had submitted to Parliament a bill of law on the establishment of a family court, whereby a Family Court would be established in every governorate in order to resolve conflicts within a family. A fund had been set up under the Ministry of Justice to provide assistance to women and wives or divorced women and children as necessary. A department within the Ministry of Interior provided counselling and assistance in the case of domestic violence. The labour codes required equal pay for equal work. Kuwait had been endeavouring to provide a preponderance of places to women in civil service, military, judiciary and diplomatic services. Kuwait had also been ensuring that the State Development Plan for the coming years would guarantee the rights of women. 26. With regard to the question of illegal residents, the delegation stated that it was not limited to Kuwait. However, unlike other countries, Kuwait provided them with many services, which were equivalent to those given to its citizens. “Illegal resident” was the term used in Decree No. 467/2010. Those residents had contravened the Kuwaiti Residence of Aliens Act No. 17 of 1959 by applying for Kuwaiti citizenship while concealing their passports. In order to address the situation, a roadmap had been adopted by the Council of Ministers. 27. Those who applied for regularization of their situation would not be prevented from applying for Kuwaiti citizenship. A full review of the files of some of those illegal residents, who were eligible for Kuwaiti citizenship in line with the Citizenship Law, would be conducted. The roadmap also indicated that their situation would be regularized, passports issued, and free residency in the country for a period of five years granted, in accordance with Act No. 17 of 1959. 28. Over the previous four years, around 6,325 persons had regularized their situation and been issued with passports. The Council of Ministers had issued Decision No. 409/2011, whereby those persons would be provided with services and facilities for decent living conditions. They had been accepted for enrolment in higher education institutions and their children were exempted from presenting the necessary documents for enrolment in schools. The costs were being covered by the Charitable Fund. Children of illegal residents were issued with birth certificates and all other personal status documents. They were provided with ration cards and entitled to a driving licence. There were also other measures, such as social insurance, health insurance and housing benefits. 29. The delegation stated that the Constitution guaranteed the freedom of opinion, expression, the press and peaceful assembly. That included discussions on the social media and internet. Kuwait had eliminated obstacles to freedom of opinion in the publication and 6