A/HRC/38/16 the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011 served as an excellent illustration in that regard. 9. At the national level, as a result of a recommendation accepted in 2008, Liechtenstein had been conducting human rights dialogues with civil society on an annual basis since 2009. During the 2017 dialogue, more than 30 representatives of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), independent institutions and bodies, the private sector and the newly established national human rights institution, the Liechtenstein Human Rights Association, had taken part in discussions focusing on the draft universal periodic review report. 10. The Human Rights Association had recently been set up in line with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles). After broad consultations with civil society and other stakeholders, in November 2016, Parliament had adopted, by consensus, a law establishing a national human rights institution. In order to ensure that the new institution could operate independently, it had been given the legal status of a common-benefit association. It served as an Ombudsman’s Office and had a broad mandate to protect and promote human rights. The Ombudsman’s Office for Children and Young People, which had been established in 2009, had been integrated into the national human rights institution. Civil society had adopted the statutes of the Association in December 2016 and had elected its board for the period 2017–2020. The secretariat had been operational since June 2017. The new institution would generate added value and would further strengthen human rights and fundamental freedoms. 11. The head of delegation said that the population of Liechtenstein was highly diverse, with citizens from more than 100 nations. As at the end of 2016, foreigners with permanent residence had made up 33.8 per cent of the population. The society of Liechtenstein was proof that diversity and social harmony were not contradictory. Integration was understood as a reciprocal process that was based on the principle of demanding and promoting respect and understanding from both immigrants and the locally born population. Economic success, which had led to a very low rate of unemployment, was another key factor in successful integration. The education system also played an important role in the integration of the foreign population and the promotion of tolerance and understanding. The dual education system had been making an important contribution to the integration of young people into the labour market for decades. Young persons had the option of either starting vocational training or entering higher education. The very low youth unemployment rate was proof of the success of that system. The dual education system was also regarded as a significant factor in the success of the economy, as it trained the highly qualified specialists the economy needed. The entire education system was being continuously developed and improved. Liechtenstein was a proponent of a liberal economic system, with equal opportunities for all to be successful. Access to the labour market was key in that respect. Asylum seekers enjoyed broad access to the labour market from day one onwards. Early integration through language training had been made a priority. 12. The revised Asylum Act had entered into force on 1 January 2017. The aim of the revision had been to accelerate procedures and shorten waiting periods for decisions on asylum applications. The Asylum Act was based on the principles of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, including the principle of non-refoulement. It was also a demonstration of the humanitarian tradition of Liechtenstein. In that regard, at the international level, Liechtenstein was actively engaged in the discussions and negotiations regarding a global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration. It supported an ambitious global compact that was firmly based on international law, in particular human rights law. It was believed that the global compact should set out a positive vision of safe, orderly and regular migration and its benefits with regard to social and economic development. 13. At the national level, there had been improvements with regard to children’s rights, namely the revision of the Civil Code and, in particular, its provisions on custody following divorce. The revised law had entered into force on 1 January 2015. As a result of the revision, joint custody was the norm after separation or divorce. That new rule corresponded to international legal developments and changes in society. 3