A/HRC/19/13 intolerance and of the effects of the global financial crisis. Additionally it noted that Iceland has always been supportive of the efforts of developing countries. Algeria made recommendations. 25. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland noted that Iceland had signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, but that it had not yet been ratified. It also noted that gender inequality still existed in the areas of pay gap and women in leadership roles. The United Kingdom found worrying the statistic that in 2009 over half the population believed racial discrimination to be common. It raised concerns about the absence of a public authority to monitor violence and sexual abuse against children and welcomed the decision to build a new prison facility. The United Kingdom made recommendations. 26. Ghana applauded the active participation and strong representation of women in important public institutions in Iceland. It also expressed appreciation for Iceland’s educational output in which women constituted 66 per cent of first-degree graduates, 60 per cent of master’s degree graduates and 54 per cent of doctoral graduates. Ghana noted, however, the concern by the Committee on the Rights of the Child about the high drop-out rate of immigrant children. It also noted the 16 per cent gender pay gap, as indicated in the national report. Ghana made recommendations. 27. The United States of America commended Iceland for launching its first antitrafficking action plan in 2009. It highlighted legislation passed in 2011 which increased the penalty for human trafficking, and constructive changes made to the country’s asylum laws. The United States remained concerned by gender pay gap and gender-based violence. It noted the efforts made by Iceland to guarantee the rights of people of foreign origin. The United States made recommendations. 28. Australia commended Iceland for passing amendments to the Act on Foreigners in 2008 and the establishment of the Multicultural and Information Centre (MCI). It expressed concern that there was no definition of racial discrimination in Icelandic legislation. It was also concerned about reports of incarceration of juveniles and adults and of pretrial detainees and convicted prisoners in the same cells. Finally, Australia expressed concern about lenient sentences in cases of domestic violence, which acted as a disincentive to women who reported violent crimes to the authorities. It made recommendations. 29. Canada applauded the commitment made to promote human rights in line with the major United Nations human rights instruments. It highlighted achievements in terms of gender equality in the cabinet noting the example of Ms. Sigurðardóttir, Iceland’s first woman prime minister. It also noted concerns by the Committee against Torture about asylum procedures and by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) regarding the Aliens Act which, as amended, did not provide for an independent and impartial appeal process. Canada made a recommendation. 30. The Islamic Republic of Iran expressed its concern over a number of human rights issues in Iceland, including racism and xenophobia, sexual violence and abuse of children, domestic violence, ethnic-based social inequalities, and the existence of substandard jails. It inquired about the root causes of these issues and concrete measures taken by the Iceland to address them. Iran made recommendations. 31. France noted that the Iceland had signed the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance in 2008 and inquired about obstacles to its ratification. It also noted that the establishment of a national human rights institution was under review and it asked for details on the envisaged timeline regarding this. Bearing in mind the persistent gender pay gap in the country and inequality in representation of women in leadership roles, France enquired what additional measures Iceland planned to take to correct this situation. France made recommendations. 6