A/HRC/17/3 particularly freedom of information bills. If the constitutional referendum had been adopted, it would have provided for public access to information. An access-to-information law will be tabled before the Parliament within the coming years. Information was currently provided to Nauruans to a cost, which was not meant to generate revenues but was purely administrative. 71. As regards the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,it was new and was recently discussed in the region. Nauru had no problem in supporting it and the working group will look at this Convention. There was no focal point on disabilities in Nauru but it was a cross-sectoral issue. Nauru was looking at properly addressing the rights to access relevant services by persons with disabilities, as evidence in the most recent project on infrastructure building. Nauru has the “Able Disable” centre, which is a school for persons living with disabilities. The Education Bill referred to the special needs of people with disabilities in education. 72. Nauru had focal points from the Regional Rights Resource Team, who were in charge of teaching human rights and awareness to members of the public. 73. Regarding access to government information, Nauru had a Government information office which was responsible for ensuring awareness among the general population on the Government plans and activities. 74. Nauru recognized the importance of partnership with the civil society and the private sector, as it was the case in the National Sustainable Development Strategy. Nauru stated that homosexuality remained illegal, as the current criminal code dated back from 1899. There was a clear intent by the Government supported by the population to amend most of those laws and correct that situation. 75. Nauru did not agree with allegations regarding violations of the rights of refugees, as every attention was given to ensure the rights of these persons through the provision of services to them in an efficient and consistent manner. There were no restrictions to their freedom of movement and attention and care was provided to those people. In addition, the ratification of the Convention on Refugees was currently under consideration. 76. Nauru recalled that the Parliamentary Standing Committee was dealing with the political stalemate on the referendum. A survey was being conducted among a sample of 1,000 voters (a large sample in Nauru’s context) to try to determine why people voted the way they did. This committee will continue its work over the coming months. There was nothing stopping the Government from doing what could be done through the Parliament, including the Bill on Access to Information or the Education Bill. These bills were generally well supported. 77. There would be deliberation in the committee about a new referendum. However, such a referendum required a majority of two thirds to pass and therefore, much thought was needed prior to its organization. In the meantime, Nauru could progress through bills such as the current Passport Bill, which would allow for travel documents for refugees. This bill was to be adopted during the February session. 78. II. Nauru thanked all delegations. Conclusions and/or recommendations 79. The following recommendations will be examined by Nauru which will provide responses in due time, but no later than the seventeenth session of the Human Rights Council, in June 2011: 79.1. 12 Become party to the core human rights instruments (New Zealand);