A/HRC/18/2 3. General comments made by other relevant stakeholders 389. Save the Children welcomed the Government’s commitment to realizing the rights of the child. It called on the Solomon Islands to prioritize commitments of resources, with clear responsibilities and deadlines and appropriate budget allocations for 2012. It also called on the Government to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and to enact legislation to protect boys and girls from all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse, and to protect children from violence in the home. It expressed its disappointment at the Government’s apparent unwillingness to consider the human rights of people attracted by those of the same sex, and stated that it was important to challenge stigmatization and discrimination. It urged the Government to consider the decriminalization of sexual acts between consenting adults. 390. The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network expressed its disappointment that the Solomon Islands was not ready to accept recommendations to repeal provisions that criminalize sexual activity between consenting adults of the same sex. It noted that the Human Rights Committee had confirmed that laws criminalizing same-sex activity violated the rights to privacy and to equality before the law without discrimination, and inhibited measures to address HIV/AIDS, a position also confirmed by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. The Network noted that the recommendation made by Norway to repeal laws that criminalize sexual relations between consenting adults in accordance with international law had been accepted. It asked how the acceptance of that recommendation could be reconciled with the rejection of other similarly-worded recommendations. In addition, noting that the delegation had indicated that reform in this area would require national consultations, it asked the delegation to outline its plan for them. 391. Marist International Solidarity and Franciscans International were encouraged by the Government’s open invitation to all mandate holders and its pledge to implement the recommendations accepted. They urged the Government to continue to provide free and compulsory primary and junior-secondary education, and to make this a priority in its national planning. They also called on the Government to ensure that corporal punishment in schools and in the home was prohibited and punished. It noted that many teachers were currently underqualified, and that many schools lacked basic resources and the Government was urged to address these deficiencies. The Government was also encouraged to include human rights education in the school curriculum. 392. Amnesty International welcomed the focus in the review on violence against women, and called on the Government to implement fully its gender equality and women’s development policy and the national policy on eliminating violence against women. Amnesty International expressed concern at reports that the police may be reluctant to intervene in cases of domestic violence and that some lawyers had refused to represent victims unless they showed visible injuries. Reference was made to the dire situation in informal settlements in Honiara, where there were few sources of clean water nearby and women and girls had to walk long distances to collect water. The Government was urged to implement promptly the recommendation it had accepted regarding this issue. It was also noted that women and girls in the settlements risked physical and sexual violence when collecting water, bathing or using toilets at night. 4. Concluding remarks of the State under review 393. The delegation was grateful for all statements and either reiterated or elaborated the position of the Solomon Islands on the issues raised. GE.12-17756 135