A/HRC/42/8 103. Croatia acknowledged the steps to strengthen the National Commission for Women and Children, but regretted the instances of early marriage, and forced labour and sexual exploitation among women and children. 104. Cuba praised Bhutan for achievements in reducing poverty, extending access to health care and education, and improving the quality of services, and noted the importance attached to happiness in public policy. 105. Cyprus commended Bhutan for the adoption of the National Action Plan for Child Protection and the strengthening of the National Commission for Women and Children. 106. Bhutan remained committed to cooperating in a constructive spirit with the international human rights mechanisms, particularly with treaty bodies and special procedures and the International Committee of the Red Cross. 107. Due to resource constraints, Bhutan experienced difficulties in facilitating frequent visits of mandate holders. However, the Government was cooperating with the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and the Special Rapporteur on the right to education, and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention had visited Bhutan. 108. Regarding press freedom, the ranking of Bhutan in the World Press Freedom Index had improved by 14 places and stood at 80th in 2019, which made Bhutan the highestranked country in South Asia. 109. The 2018 amendments to the Information, Communications and Media Act of Bhutan had ensured greater independence of the Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority. Additionally, the Government had been providing capacity-building support to media houses, including the Journalist Association of Bhutan, through training and the provision of financial grants and equipment. 110. The Government was working to ensure that all information related to public policies, decisions and plans was shared with the public. 111. As for the recommendation to amend the Constitution, Bhutan stated that a drafting committee of 39 members had analysed a number of constitutions to elaborate a document, which would be promoting and protecting the interests of people in the best possible way. 112. Moreover, the King of Bhutan and the Fourth King of Bhutan had travelled around the country to consult with every household. Therefore, the Constitution enjoyed broad support from the people. If any amendment was necessary, the Constitution contained provisions for this to be done in a democratic way. 113. Concerning the provision of legal aid, a Legal Aid Guideline had been submitted for the consideration of the Government. Moreover, the National Law Review Task Force had noted that it was timely to establish a public defender’s office in the interests of indigent people. In order to raise awareness about laws, the justice sector had been carrying out programmes to disseminate the relevant information. 114. In line with the twelfth Five Year Plan, the Government had prioritized the issue of access to justice for women through capacity-building for judges, and had established a specialized court for women and children. 115. A number of guidelines had been elaborated, such as the Child Prosecution Guideline and the Child Court Procedures, to avoid any exposure of children to the mainstream legal processes and to facilitate their reintegration. 116. Regarding the rights of minorities and vulnerable groups, Bhutan had been putting the well-being of people at the centre of its development plans and policies. 117. The Government had initiated a number of programmes to improve living conditions and social welfare through the provision of housing, water supply and monthly allowances. The draft National Pension and Provident Fund Policy was aimed at expanding pension coverage through additional, more affordable schemes. 118. As for the rights of persons with disabilities, the draft national policy contained measures to improve access to education and to remove physical and financial barriers. 9