A/HRC/27/8 8. Bhutan’s democratic process had been further consolidated under the reigning monarch with the successful holding of local government elections in 2011 and the second parliamentary elections in 2013. 9. In recognition of the importance of a strong and professional press, the Bhutan Media Foundation had been established by royal charter in 2010. The monthly “Meet the Press” events with the participation of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet ensured access to the Government at the highest level. 10. The National Commission for Women and Children, an autonomous agency, coordinated and monitored policies and activities related to the protection and promotion of the rights of women and children. 11. The Government of Bhutan continued to attach great importance to the social sectors and to its pro-poor policies. More than 20 per cent of the total budget of the eleventh FiveYear Plan was allocated to education and health. 12. The Government was also ensuring that under the Five-Year Plan more emphasis was placed on gender issues and women’s empowerment in all policies and national plans. The Government had also pledged to explore the adoption of a quota system for women’s participation in the electoral process. 13. Bhutan was fully committed to ensuring gender equality in all aspects of electoral and other democratic participation. 14. Bhutan had benefited from constructive dialogue with expert bodies in the past, and in that spirit the Special Rapporteur on the right to education had been invited to visit Bhutan in May 2014. 15. In order to protect and promote the inherent dignity of all, and particularly the rights of persons with disabilities, Bhutan had signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2010. 16. With regard to the recommendations received in the previous UPR of Bhutan on acceding to the core human rights instruments, Bhutan first needed to establish the necessary legal framework, social institutions and human and financial resources to assume the obligations associated with those treaties and to abide by them in letter and spirit. As its capacity became enhanced, Bhutan would consider acceding to additional international human rights instruments. 17. The head of delegation elaborated on the numerous initiatives undertaken by the Government in addition to the recommendations received during the first UPR, such as the open-air prison system and the weekly “Meet the People” programme involving the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and the public. 18. Following up on the recommendation made during the first UPR of Bhutan in 2009 that it share its concept of “gross national happiness”, Bhutan had initiated General Assembly resolution 65/309 entitled “Happiness: towards a holistic approach to development”, which had been adopted by consensus in 2011. Bhutan had hosted a very successful high-level meeting on well-being and happiness in New York in April 2012. A subsequent report on the subject had been submitted to the United Nations SecretaryGeneral in December 2013 as his country’s contribution to the post-2015 development agenda. 19. Bhutan faced numerous challenges, such as a high rate of youth unemployment, uneven poverty rates across districts and regions and the problem of destitute economic migrants entering Bhutan illegally through open borders. In addition, Bhutan had been subjected to terrorist acts. 4