A/HRC/40/13 posts in the administration (unit heads or higher) were occupied by women. One of the five government councillor posts was currently held by a woman. Eight out of the 24 members of the National Council were women and the gender balance tipped the other way when it came to ambassadors. In the judiciary, four out of the five services administered by the Directorate of Judicial Services were headed by women. 13. One of the most recent legislative advances to strengthen gender equality was Act No. 1.457 of 12 December 2017 on harassment and violence at the workplace, which had entered into force on 23 December 2017. It prohibited harassment, sexual blackmail and violence in the workplace, among others, required employers to take all necessary measures to prevent such acts, and established those acts as a criminal offence. 14. Concerning employment, the Monegasque Constitution guaranteed equal access to employment for non-nationals without distinction. Although Monegasque nationals were given priority in employment, taking into account that they constituted a minority in their own country, there was no distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion or social origin. 15. As at 31 December 2017, 4,500 persons – approximately 2,500 men and 2,000 women – had been working in the civil service, accounting for 8 per cent of employees in the Principality. Nearly two thirds of them were French, against 30 per cent Monegasque nationals. Although, at 77 per cent, men outnumbered women among French staff, women accounted for 64 per cent of Monegasque staff and were thus in the majority. In December 2017, there had been 50,000 private sector employees, 60 per cent of whom had been men. Nearly two thirds of private sector employees were of French nationality, which illustrated that the system of priority employment in no way undermined foreigners’ access to employment in the Principality. Furthermore, all employees in the Principality of Monaco, regardless of their nationality, were covered by a basic social welfare system. All insured persons had equal access to health insurance and a pension. 16. The Office of the High Commissioner for the Protection of Rights, Liberties and for Mediation had been set up in October 2013; a High Commissioner had been appointed in February 2014. The Office’s main functions were to ensure the protection of citizens in their dealings with the authorities and to combat unjustified discrimination. The High Commissioner was mandated to receive complaints from natural or legal persons who considered themselves to be victims of unjustified discrimination. In the public sector, the High Commissioner could require the relevant administrative departments to provide any document, information or assistance necessary to fulfil his or her duties. He or she could also verbally request supplementary items from the citizen and the aforementioned departments so as to clarify any discrepancies. The High Commissioner ensured respect for the adversarial principle by, if necessary and unless impossible, listening to the explanations of the citizen or his or her representative, as well as those of the administrative authority concerned. In the private-sector realm, the High Commissioner heard the claimant and could request him or her to provide any additional item to clarify the facts and the situation that had given rise to the grievance. After examining the complaint, the High Commissioner might refer it to the authorities or interested parties. In application of the adversarial principle, he or she could also invite the accused party to comment on the acts of discrimination that were the subject of the complaint. On the basis of the complaint, the High Commissioner had the power to make recommendations requesting the defendant to remedy the discrimination identified and to provide information on the follow-up given to the recommendation within a given deadline. If no information was forthcoming, the High Commissioner could make the recommendation public or prepare a special report for the attention of the Prince. 17. The Principality promoted gender equality through its development cooperation policy, which mainly aimed at eradicating poverty through actions in the fields of health, education and social inclusion through employment. Monegasque development cooperation operated in countries with annual per capita incomes of less than 4,000 dollars (least developed countries) or in very poor communities in middle-income countries. The focus was placed on forgotten, often overlooked areas in capitals and major cities (slums, poor neighbourhoods), remote settings (rural or desert areas) and border areas (refugee camps). There, Monaco supported activities with a strong impact on the population’s purchasing 4 GE.18-22679