A/HRC/43/11 81. The delegation recalled that the main human rights conventions had already been ratified. Although ratification of additional instruments was still under consideration, there was no doubt about the political will of both the Government and the Angolan people to take further action in that regard. However, with relation to accession to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Angola would comply with the collective position adopted by the African Union, which was widely known. 82. The issue of demining had been a priority for Angola since the beginning of the peace period (2002). Demining would allow for the free movement of people and make arable land available to farm, which was needed for the development of the country’s agriculture. The delegation once again called for cooperation in that regard, in particular with countries or agencies that possessed relevant technologies and expertise. 83. Concerning refugees and migration, the delegation noted that the majority of immigrants and refugees in Angola were African citizens. The Government had been working to legalize their situation, not only to recognize their rights, but also in acknowledgement of the assistance provided by other African countries to citizens of Angola during the fight for independence and the civil war. 84. The National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity included political measures for women’s empowerment. Statistics regarding the participation of women in public life were encouraging. For example, some 42 per cent of employees in the public sector were women, as were over 30 per cent of members of parliament. Domestic violence remained a concern but Angola had adopted a series of measures to address the issue, including awarenessraising campaigns and the provision of counselling. Angola had also carried out campaigns against harmful practices such as early marriage and to prevent early pregnancy. 85. In response to a question regarding the so-called “Operation Rescue”, it was clarified that during that operation some 1,500 places of worship considered inadequate and that posed certain risks to health and public order had been closed. However, through work conducted together with municipal and provincial administrations, another 300 that were in compliance with urban and territorial plans and with rules linked to permits as established by law had been opened. 86. Concerning policies to defend children, protection against violence was provided by the Constitution, various laws and the Penal Code, which contained provisions to address the ill-treatment of minors. Angola was updating its national strategy to prevent and combat violence against children. Additionally, a national plan of action for the elimination of child labour was in the process of being adopted. With regard to children accused of witchcraft, the number of cases had been significantly reduced due to awareness-raising conducted by National Institute for Children with the support of civil society organizations, including churches. In the previous two years, only 44 such cases had been registered, 30 of which had been solved through counselling and psychosocial support for victims. 87. Persons with disabilities represented 2.5 per cent of the population, in other words over 600,000 people. Of that total, 25 per cent were children. Several legal instruments and policies had been approved to ensure the protection of persons with disabilities and, in particular, the social inclusion of children with disabilities. 88. The Constitution and the law protected the rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly. However, it was the role of the State, through the competent authorities, to ensure that demonstrations did not result in threats to public order. The large majority of recent demonstrations had been carried out peacefully, which was a result of the greater flexibility and openness of the government of the President. Additionally, whenever any allegation of abuse or excessive use of force was registered, the government did not hesitate to open investigations and send perpetrators to trial. 89. Honduras expressed satisfaction at the provisions in the new Penal Code to criminalize acts of corruption. 90. Iceland applauded the revision of the Penal Code, particularly its inclusion of sexual orientation as a basis of discrimination. 7