A/HRC/17/6 8. It was indicated that the Constitution of Saint Lucia guarantees the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms in keeping with the fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). 9. Saint Lucia underscored its commitment to the protection and defence of human life as well as its commitment to prompt and unbiased investigation in all matters involving the killing of a human person, and to vigilance in the practice of governance so that all persons have equal rights under the protection of the law. 10. Additionally, the Constitution guarantees judicial redress to any individual whose rights may be infringed. Saint Lucia stated that a process of Constitutional Reform is ongoing and the report on this process is due soon. 11. Saint Lucia then provided details regarding its legal and court system. It also highlighted that, in its effort to progress towards international standards, Saint Lucia had become a party to regional and international human rights instruments and participated in the initiatives that follow: Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC); International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD); Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); the Belém do Pará Convention; the Beijing Platform for Action (Beijing 1995); the Brasilia Consensus; the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action. 12. Moreover, in the very near future, Saint Lucia intends to sign/ratify the following other International Conventions: International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR); the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime; the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD); and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons. 13. Saint Lucia explained that it faced a number of challenges which had an impact on how certain problems were dealt with. It noted that the country had only become independent in 1979 and that the international environment since then has been extremely challenging. Additionally, because of its location, storms or hurricanes are annual events and these not only affect Saint Lucia directly but also regionally. 14. Saint Lucia stated that the cost of development is much higher in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and that it must bear those costs even within a limited resource base. It is nonetheless classified as “middle income”, though that classification does not reflect the true nature of the challenges it faces. 15. Regarding poverty, it was noted that this is the most important social issue facing Saint Lucia and that it is recognized that the alleviation of poverty is essential to promoting respect for human dignity and the realization of all other human rights. 16. Saint Lucia was encouraged by the findings of the most recent poverty assessment (2005/2006), which indicated that, whilst there was a slight increase in relative poverty, there was a dramatic decrease in extreme poverty. This decrease has been attributed to multiple interventions, primarily led by State-sponsored programmes which have been complemented by the important and significant work of faith-based and other civil society organizations. Saint Lucia provided information on a number of existing programmes including: the revised National Insurance Corporation Act; the Social Development Fund; the Public Assistance Programme; and the Basic Needs Trust Fund. 17. Regarding health, it was stated that Saint Lucia has made significant strides in securing and improving access to quality health care for its citizens. This is reflected, inter alia, through a number of programmes and initiatives such as: health-care facilities which offer a range of services and care located within a three-mile radius throughout the country; the removal of doctors’ fees at all health centres and the introduction of health exemption 4