A/HRC/27/8 built capacity and raised awareness, including by providing legal training on human rights. Yemen made a recommendation. 107. Zambia commended Bhutan for enacting key human rights legislation and for its efforts to provide free health care and education and protect marginalized people. It encouraged Bhutan to continue its efforts to promote and protect human rights. Zambia made recommendations. 108. Afghanistan welcomed the steps taken by Bhutan to promote economic and social rights. It recognized the important role of the National Commission for Women and Children in promoting and protecting the rights of women, children and the disadvantaged and the increasing number of civil society organizations and their growing role. Afghanistan made recommendations. 109. Algeria welcomed the adoption of domestic violence, child protection and anticorruption legislation and the creation of commissions to oversee efforts in the areas of human rights, women’s issues, children’s issues and gender equality. Algeria made recommendations. 110. Argentina encouraged Bhutan to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and to accede to the other international human rights instruments to which it was not a party. Argentina recognized the State’s concern for and commitment to women’s rights. Argentina made recommendations. 111. Armenia encouraged Bhutan to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and other international human rights conventions, particularly the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Armenia expressed concern regarding the number of young people who had never attended school. Armenia made recommendations. 112. Australia commended Bhutan for having held successful elections in 2013, for its progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, for its commitment to improving living standards and for its legal reforms to address human rights issues. It expressed concern about the situation of Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal. Australia made recommendations. 113. In response to the questions raised regarding freedom of religion, the delegation explained that the Bhutanese people had the freedom to embrace and practise any religion of their choosing. The delegation referred to article 7, paragraph 4 of the Constitution, which guaranteed the right to practise any religion provided a person was not compelled to belong to a faith by means of coercion or inducement. 114. Regarding questions relating to electoral issues, the delegation explained that Bhutanese citizens who were at least 18 years old were entitled to vote. However, according to the Constitution and the Election Act of 2008, members of the royal family, religious figures and members of religious institutions could neither participate in the electoral process nor join political parties, as they were meant to remain above politics, without promoting any party or candidate in an election. The Election Commission was an independent entity, as stipulated in the Constitution and the Election Act. 115. Regarding the issue of people in refugee camps in eastern Nepal, the delegation explained that the problem was not a straightforward refugee situation but rather arose from illegal economic immigration. The root cause was the massive movement of people in the region who suffered from extreme poverty, environmental degradation and political instability. There were more than 130,000 non-Bhutanese workers in Bhutan – more than in the 1990s. Some married local people in order to be able to stay in Bhutan, and some even requested citizenship. The Governments of Bhutan and Nepal had agreed that there were a variety of people in the camps, including non-Bhutanese people. The delegation expressed 12

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