A/HRC/33/10 65. France welcomed the commitments made by Papua New Guinea in the field of human rights since its first universal periodic review in 2011. 66. Germany commended Papua New Guinea for the Family Protection Act and the abolition of a law against alleged witchcraft. It remained concerned about reports of torture incidents and extrajudicial killings and about the fact that women and children continued to be disproportionately affected by crime and acts of violence. 67. Ghana noted the progress of Papua New Guinea in human rights since the first review, including the establishment of the “human rights track” within the courts in 2013. It welcomed the efforts to establish a national human rights institution in accordance with the Paris Principles and to ratify the Convention against Torture. It remained concerned about reports of sexual and physical assaults on women and girls even after the adoption of the Family Protection Act. 68. Guatemala took note of steps undertaken to promote, protect and fulfil the fundamental human rights of all persons. 69. Haiti welcomed the delegation of Papua New Guinea and took note of progress made in the area of human rights, notably with the Lukautim Pikinini (Child) (Amendment) Act. 70. The Holy See acknowledged efforts regarding the effective implementation of human rights, such as the adoption of the Family Protection Act, which criminalized domestic violence. It further noted the attention given to child safety through the Lukautim Pikinini (Child) (Amendment) Act, as well as the National Identity Project, which aimed at registering all citizens and providing them with birth certificates. 71. Honduras congratulated Papua New Guinea for its growing commitment in the defence of human rights and encouraged it to continue complying with its commitments. The recent derogation by Parliament of the Sorcery Act and the recent approval of different laws, such as the Family Protection Act, the Juvenile Justice Act and the Lukautim Pikinini (Child) (Amendment) Act were examples of such commitments. 72. Indonesia thanked Papua New Guinea for its continued engagement with the universal periodic review. It took note of some developments, in policy and practice, on the promotion and protection of human rights in the country. It also took note of the endorsement in 2015 of the National Action Plan against Sorcery- and Witchcraft-related Violence. 73. Ireland commended Papua New Guinea for the issuance of a standing invitation to special procedure mandate holders. It encouraged the country to continue its engagement with international mechanisms by responding in a timely manner to the communications of special procedures and submitting all overdue reports to the treaty bodies. It remained concerned that corporal punishment was not prohibited in all settings and at the underresourcing and limited accessibility of schools for children living in rural areas. 74. Italy welcomed steps taken to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights since the first cycle of universal periodic review. It welcomed, in particular, measures aimed at increasing the protection of the rights of the child through the adoption of the Lukautim Pikinini (Child) (Amendment) Act and the progress made in the fight against corruption. 75. Jamaica noted that Papua New Guinea had worked with bilateral partners and international organizations, including OHCHR, to further commitments undertaken during its previous universal periodic review. It commended Papua New Guinea for its commitment to improving the quality of life of its citizens through legislative reform and targeted programmes. 10 GE.16-12009

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