A/HRC/26/9
the latter temporary special measure being introduced, there had been only one female
councillor, but, in January 2014, of the 40 women who contested the Port Vila municipality
elections, five were elected.
17.
The delegation observed that the visit of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in 2010 had assisted the Correctional
Services Department to review internal processes and procedures in order to eradicate the
inhuman treatment of detainees. The establishment of an external inspection team,
comprised of independent members from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Youth
Development, Sport and Training, the Malvatumauri National Council of Chiefs and
Vanuatu Christian Council, to inspect the conditions and treatment in prisons and promote
the human rights of detainees was also noted. The first report of the inspection team had
been published in 2013 and was available on the Department’s website.
18.
The delegation noted the establishment of the Ministry of Climate Change in 2013
to address climate change and disasters that had a negative impact, including on women and
children, owing to impacts on farming, forestry, fishing and food and water security. It was
also recalled that Vanuatu had attended the nineteenth session of the Conference of the
Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in November
2013 in Warsaw.
19.
The institution of reproductive health awareness-raising in two provinces, with
assistance from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other donor partners, for
the 2013–2017 cycle was also noted.
20.
The delegation underscored the challenges and constraints that Vanuatu had
encountered, which included: its geographical location and financial constraints on travel
to Geneva to be present for the UPR; the lack of human resources for the implementation of
recommendations; donor-centred funding; the fact that not all children with disabilities
attended formal education; the lack of financial assistance to effectively address areas that
required reform, which included transpose conventions into domestic legislation; the lack
of understanding of and interest in the United Nations human rights conventions; the lack
of internal capacity to translate human rights conventions into domestic legislation;
traditional barriers stopping women from engaging in key climate change sectors; the lack
of education on climate change and adaptation in communities.
21.
The delegation noted that the Government had recently committed to developing
best practices concerning youth juveniles.
22.
It was also underscored that the Constitution provided equal rights under the law to
all persons, including persons with disabilities. However, discrimination based on sexual
orientation or HIV/AIDS was not specifically addressed by the Constitution. In 2011,
Vanuatu had established the National AIDS Committee and launched a standard guide for
counselling services and HIV/AIDS testing facilities. As of 2011, there had been six
reported cases of HIV/AIDS in the country.
23.
Vanuatu reported that the Ministry of Health was progressively ensuring adequate
access by the population to quality basic health services through the National Policy and
Strategy for Healthy Islands 2011–2015. The Ministry of Health was currently conducting
awareness-raising and campaigns in remote rural communities and providing medication
upon request. Malaria and tuberculosis cases had dropped from 17,500 cases in 2003 to less
than 6,000 in 2011, according to MDG reports.
24.
With regard to its institutional framework, Vanuatu indicated that, in February 2013,
the Ministry of Justice and Community Services appointed an interim National Human
Rights Committee. Its mandate would be to coordinate all human rights issues and monitor
and evaluate the status of national reports. That was a step towards establishing a national
5
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