A/HRC/12/4 Page 4 9. Belize’s human rights architecture is legal and institutional in nature. The Constitution guarantees civil, political, cultural and social rights equally on the basis of non-discrimination to all persons, and ensures a just system of social security and environmental protection. 10. At the front line of the Government’s efforts to promote and protect human rights is the Ministry of Human Development and Social Transformation. 11. Four quasi-governmental bodies have been established to ensure compliance with human rights commitments to key vulnerable populations: the National Committee for Families and Children (NCFC), the National Women’s Commission (NWC), the National AIDS Commission (NAC) and the National Council on Aging (NCA). Additionally, the National Human Development Advisory Committee, a multisectoral committee comprised of government and civil society representatives, provides policy advice to the Government taking into account sustainable development and other human rights issues. 12. A vibrant and active civil society sector has been instrumental in the promotion and protection of human rights with particular emphasis on public education. 13. An independent Office of the Ombudsman was established in 1999. While the Ombudsman Act gives broad powers to the Ombudsman to investigate wrongdoing, the success of the office has been its openness to help ordinary Belizeans and its credibility in acting as an honest and objective broker. 14. The Government of Belize has adopted a zero-tolerance approach to police violence. The Police Internal Affairs Department is tasked with conducting transparent investigations of police actions and citizen complaints. Where wrongful action has been determined criminal prosecution and/or disciplinary actions are taken. The Department has incorporated a human rights course at its raining academy, administered by the Human Rights Commission of Belize. 15. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence Against Women and the concluding observations of respective treaty bodies guide Belize’s efforts to ensure the human rights of women. The recent strengthening of NWC to improve its capacity to monitor compliance with these important conventions will enhance the national machinery for the promotion of gender equity, equality and the advancement of women, and make the process of reporting on the implementation of the conventions easier. 16. Important achievements with respect to women’s rights include: the extension of paid maternity leave from 12 to 14 weeks to ensure conformity with the ILO Maternity Protection Convention; passage of legal provisions for equal pay for equal work, recognition of the value of housework in divorce proceedings and legal recognition of common-law unions of 5 years or more for inheritance purposes. A National Gender Policy was adopted in 2003, and last month stakeholders met, under the auspices, of NWC to review this. 17. A National Gender-Based Violence Plan facilitates a strategic response to the persistent problem of gender based violence. The Women’s Department, in partnership with NGOs, coordinates a sustained public education campaign to raise awareness and to inform women of available avenues of assistance. The Government has strengthened the Domestic Violence Act to provide for, inter alia, harsher penalties and the broadening of the categories of persons protected by the Act.