A/HRC/8/28 Page 4 of the administration as a strategy for good and effective governance. Both chambers of the Philippine Congress have committees on human rights, while the judiciary has consistently upheld human rights protection under the rule of law. 7. Second, the Government is dedicated to constantly improving its human rights record by further strengthening its institutions, mainstreaming human rights and educating all Filipinos to foster a culture of human rights and peace. The human rights education programmes of the Department of Education, together with the Commission on Human Rights, have won recognition by UNESCO. The Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine national police organizations, as well as the National Bureau of Investigation also have their respective human rights offices. At the grass-roots level, and specifically villages, there are the Barangay Human Rights Action Centers, a programme started by the Commission on Human Rights and the Department of Interior and Local Government, which will be further strengthened as part of the governance portfolio of UNDP. 8. Third, the Government measures its gains in good and effective governance in accordance with its faithful observance of the principles and standards of human rights. The rights-based approach governs all actions of the State in the performance of its duties and responsibilities towards the people, which is an integral component of the development strategies pursued by the Arroyo administration. It is set forth in the Philippine Medium-Term Development Plan and the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Programme, programmes designed to attain the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. The Human Development Index (HDI) has steadily progressed since 1975 and today the Philippines ranks 90th among 177 countries. All these achievements were attained despite major challenges hampering development efforts brought about by natural disasters and calamities. The challenge now is to ensure that the benefits of economic growth are distributed and felt across all levels of Philippine society. 9. Fourth, the Government’s human rights advocacy and programmes remain responsive to the demands of vulnerable sectors. The Philippines pursues a 25-year National Strategic Framework for Plan Development for Children, from 2000 to 2025, to build a child-sensitive and child-friendly society. Local Councils for the Protection of Children (LCPCs) have been established to coordinate and monitor the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Children in conflict with the law are protected under the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006. The Philippines has also achieved respectable improvements in lowering child mortality. With regard to women, the Philippines now ranks 77th among 177 countries in terms of the Gender-related Development Index (GDI), and 45th in terms of Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM), with Filipino women enjoying a higher ratio in estimated earned income. Regarding indigenous peoples, their rights are protected under the landmark Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), which provides opportunities to exercise self-governance and to participate in determining economic development. Ancestral domains and ancestral lands are preserved and protected, and titled to indigenous cultural communities in accordance with their historical claims, with assistance to ensure that these lands are productive. Traditional indigenous legal systems are part of the legal framework. Concerning migrant workers, the Philippine Government has, over years, established mechanisms to address illegal recruitment and trafficking of persons through the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency. An Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Under-Secretary (Deputy Minister) for migrant workers affairs were established to look after their needs and welfare. During the interactive dialogue, aimed at improving human rights protection and promotion on the ground, the Philippines urged more countries to accede to the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers And Members of Their Families (ICRMW), which is a core human rights instrument crucial to the development of a comprehensive international human rights legal system.