A/HRC/30/15 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, held its twenty-second session from 4 to 15 May 2015. The review of Jamaica was held at the 15th meeting, on 13 May 2015. The delegation of Jamaica was headed by Mark Golding. At its 17th meeting, held on 15 May 2015, the Working Group adopted the report on Jamaica. 2. On 13 January 2015, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Jamaica: Algeria, Estonia and Japan. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to Council resolution 16/21, the following documents were issued for the review of Jamaica: (a) A national report (A/HRC/WG.6/22/JAM/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) (A/HRC/WG.6/22/JAM/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR (A/HRC/WG.6/22/JAM/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Germany, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America was transmitted to Jamaica through the troika. These questions are available on the extranet of the Working Group. I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. The representative of the State under review stated that, as a newly independent country, Jamaica had initiated and advocated for the International Year for Human Rights as part of a focused attempt to define an international human rights landscape with agreed principles, guaranteeing fundamental freedoms and rights for all peoples. The Constitution guaranteed the protection of the human rights of all Jamaicans regardless of colour, class or creed. Since 2011, these rights had been further expanded through the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms. It also highlighted that the Charter applied vertically to the State and also horizontally among persons, therefore inculcating respect for human rights at all levels of society by holding all persons, including the State, accountable. 6. Jamaica had embarked on a path of national transformation through the national development plan for 2009–2030, Vision 2030 Jamaica, which revolved around four national goals: Jamaicans are empowered to achieve their fullest potential; Jamaican society is secure, cohesive and just; the economy is prosperous; and the country has a healthy natural environment. 7. Efforts were ongoing to address the impact on the country’s economy of the 2008 global economic recession. The most central adjustment, aimed at reducing the overall debt burden, was the maintenance of a large primary surplus (7.5 per cent of the gross domestic product) for at least four years, an adjustment that limited the availability of resources for a range of policies and programmes in the social sector. 3