A/HRC/48/13 46. Paraguay encouraged Solomon Islands to continue collaboration with other countries and international organizations to achieve the full implementation of the recommendations from the previous review cycles. Paraguay expressed concern about an increased risk to the health of the population, in particular the most vulnerable sectors, owing to climate change and the unprecedented sea-level rise. 47. The Philippines noted efforts to further advance the protection of human rights, especially those of vulnerable groups. It welcomed the establishment of the Anti-Human Trafficking Advisory Committee, the training of law enforcement officials and the strengthening of legislation to combat trafficking in persons. 48. Portugal welcomed efforts to promote youth rights and gender equality through the implementation of the national youth policy for 2017–2030 and the national gender equality and women’s development policy for 2016–2020. 49. Senegal noted the Anti-Human Trafficking Advisory Committee and the adoption of an anti-corruption law aimed at combating acts of corruption committed by civil servants. It also welcomed efforts to implement legislative reforms aimed at harmonizing national laws with international human rights instruments. 50. Serbia welcomed the adoption of anti-corruption laws and the establishment of an independent anti-corruption commission. It encouraged Solomon Islands to continue close collaboration with United Nations human rights mechanisms for the benefit of all its citizens. 51. Sierra Leone commended Solomon Islands for the strides taken in the promotion of human rights since its previous review cycle, in 2016, including the reform of the Penal Code with a provision criminalizing all forms of sexual violence, the enactment of the Child and Welfare Act (2017) and policies aimed at promoting gender equality. It noted the many environmental challenges faced by Solomon Islands as a small island developing State, encouraging Solomon Islands to continue to work with regional and international partners to seek viable solutions to those challenges. 52. Slovenia commended Solomon Islands for its commitment to mitigating climate change while remaining concerned by extensive logging activities in the recent years that had resulted in serious impacts on human rights and the environment, not only for Solomon Islands but also for the global efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change. It noted that human rights issues in that context had not been so much driven by a lack of laws or policies, but more importantly by a lack of monitoring and enforcement. 53. With regard to development, Solomon Islands approached the right to development through the lens of its national development strategy for 2016–2035. Underpinning that tool was the national vision of improving the social and economic livelihoods of all Solomon Islanders. The national development strategy was also aligned with the Samoa Pathway and Istanbul Programme of Action in terms of sustainable development. 54. Despite economic gains from 2015 to 2018, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the enforcement of containment measures had negatively impacted the country’s economy and hampered implementation of development initiatives. In an effort to cushion the economic impact of the pandemic, the Government had introduced the redirection policy. Priorities included the reallocation of resources to the productive sector and the establishment of appropriate structural institutional arrangements to facilitate and sustain a growth path for the economy in partnership with the private sector. In terms of infrastructure development, the Government and its development partners were engaged in several major transformational programmes or projects covering, inter alia, airports, the mining sector, energy, telecommunications, fisheries and agriculture. 55. Climate change is a pressing global issue that severely impacts the daily lives of Solomon Islanders, especially those living on low-lying islands. Sea level rise, water intrusion, king tides and cyclones had led to relocation, especially from low-lying islands to higher ones. The country continued to lose islands, with women being disempowered as land was swallowed up by the sea. That phenomenon had an impact on the country’s diverse culture: as people relocated, they became disconnected from the traditional crops and relied on imported food, leading to the onset of non-communicable diseases, the leading killer in Solomon Islands. Scientists warned that by 2050, the migratory patterns of tuna – a primary 6