A/HRC/31/11 judiciary, the police and the armed forces. In recognition of women’s role in society, the Sultanate annually celebrated Omani women’s day on 17 October. 16. In respect of the fight against human trafficking, the delegation recalled that Oman had been among the first States in the region to have issued a comprehensive law in that area and had established a national commission, presided by an official with the rank of minister. Since its first review in 2011, Oman had achieved remarkable progress in respect of its strategy to combat human trafficking, which was based on four pillars: developing legislation and rules to combat human trafficking; providing the authorities concerned with guidance on preventive and deterrent measures; providing protection and support to the victims; and strengthening international collaboration to combat human trafficking. 17. The delegation noted that Oman had established a strategy to combat all forms of forced labour by imposing heavy fines on offenders, and had increased the number of shelters for women and children who were victims of sexual exploitation. 18. In the humanitarian field, the delegation indicated that the Sultanate worked on providing financial support to developing countries, and the Oman Charitable Organization supported urgent relief operations worldwide in response to natural disasters. 19. The delegation noted that in order to ensure a national staff capable of tackling human rights issues, the National Human Rights Commission, in collaboration with OHCHR and many specialized training centres, trained staff on human rights and strove to promote a culture of human rights. 20. The delegation stated that the Sultanate consistently emphasized the importance of dialogue between stakeholders on human rights issues that references the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the diversity of civilizations and the cultural specificity of each society. Oman made concrete efforts to consolidate the concepts of coexistence and tolerance through the reinforcement of the principle of respect of religious freedom; in that context, the Sultanate had created centres for dialogue between different religions and confessions and had established chairs in science at international universities. Tolerance was an inherent characteristic of Omani society; the Government ensured religious and intellectual freedom for citizens and residents. 21. The delegation mentioned that Oman was located in a troubled region, but that did not dissuade it from seeking peaceful resolutions and narrowing the differences to put an end to regional conflicts. That role was noted recently by the Secretary-General, who had thanked Oman for its constructive role in helping to resolve the conflict in Yemen and in discussing the latest developments in the peace process in the Middle East and the Syrian Arab Republic. 22. The delegation recalled the firm position of Oman in supporting the Palestinian people in exercising their right to self-determination; establishing their State with East Jerusalem as its capital, side by side with Israel; and ending the longest occupation in the world. 23. The delegation highlighted that the events that the Arab world had been witnessing had brought major challenges to several countries. Through wise policies implemented under the leadership of the Sultan, Oman had worked to balance the addition of further rights and freedoms with the dictates of maintaining stability and security. 24. The delegation concluded by saying that Oman would continue its efforts to foster the protection and promotion of human rights and to make the Council a forum in which to advance human rights, free from politicization and selectivity. 5