A/HRC/31/4
38.
Denmark noted that the Federated States of Micronesia had supported the
recommendations from the first review cycle to ratify the Convention against Torture and
Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and requested information
on the specific steps that had been taken to honour that commitment. Denmark also
highlighted the fact that the Convention against Torture Initiative stood ready to explore
avenues to assist the Government in making progress in that regard.
39.
Djibouti welcomed the efforts made by the Government to strengthen the protection
of human rights, as well as the measures taken to implement the recommendations received
during the first review cycle.
40.
Estonia commended the Federated States of Micronesia for meeting its obligations
through the incorporation of human rights principles into national policies. Estonia
welcomed the first research efforts taken by the Federated States of Micronesia to develop
comprehensive information on violence against women, and encouraged it to translate the
collected data and findings into national legislation in order to better protect women and
children from violence, including gender-based violence. Estonia also encouraged the
Federated States of Micronesia to continue its efforts to become party to all the main
international human rights instruments and to cooperate with the special procedures by
issuing a standing invitation.
41.
Fiji noted the work of the Federated States of Micronesia towards the adoption of a
national gender policy, and the completion of the 2014 Family and Health and Safety Study
on the prevalence of gender-based violence. Fiji stated that its experience had been similar
to that of the Federated States of Micronesia in relation to the intersection between custom,
customary attitudes and gender inequality, and that its own approach had been to
mainstream gender and to ensure that legislation removed barriers to reporting on genderbased violence. Fiji also recognized that domestic violence and the abuse of children within
the family remained largely unreported as a result of social, cultural and institutional
barriers.
42.
With respect to the issue of ratification of the remaining core human rights
instruments, the head of the delegation reiterated that the Federated States of Micronesia
had prepared a matrix on implementation that aimed to identify responsible government
departments or agencies for such implementation and focus areas.
43.
Regarding submission of the report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, she
confirmed that the Federated States of Micronesia would be starting to prepare its second
report under the Convention on the Rights of the Child in November 2015. There was a
need to focus resources on the Child Protection Baseline Report, which would help identify
the key areas on which the Federated States of Micronesia needed to focus and to which it
needed to direct resources.
44.
With respect to the issue of violence against women, she stated that, in order to
implement the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women, the Federated States of Micronesia believed that the Family
Health and Safety Study that had been completed in October would help the country to
gather information and focus attention and resources on the relevant areas.
45.
With regard to areas requiring constitutional amendment, the head of the delegation
stated that constitutional amendments would be made subject to the national constitutional
amendment process.
46.
The head of delegation also highlighted the need for technical cooperation, which
would enable the Federated States of Micronesia to address its weaknesses in public
education and advocacy work on human rights issues.
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