HIGHLIGHTS OF RESULTS UN Human Rights supports the national consultations for the establishment of a Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission in The Gambia. © OHCHR/West Africa sembly, while in Guinea, a draft law on the creation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission is expected to be adopted in 2018. The Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission of Mali began the process of taking depositions, while the Trusth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission of Sudan developed an action plan to improve the discharge of its mandate. Moreover, in February, the National Reconciliation Law of Madagascar was promulgated and the Zimbabwean National Peace Reconciliation Commission Bill was amended and adopted. Some concerns remain, however, regarding its alignment with international standards on transitional justice mechanisms. In South Sudan, a Technical Committee was established by the Ministry of Justice to implement a national consultation process that will inform the drafting of legislation on the establishment of a truth commission. At the regional level, in Africa, in spite of the consultations that have been carried out since 2013, the AU Transitional Justice Policy Framework has not yet been adopted. Legal efforts to defend the rights of women in Tunisia On 26 July 2017, Tunisia consolidated its leading position in the Middle East and North Africa region in the field of women’s rights through the Parliament’s adoption of the Law on the Elimination of Violence against Women. The law is a landmark achievement that provides for the prevention of and protection from violence against women and girls and ensures that victims of violence receive adequate care and have access to justice. The Law aligns Tunisian legislation with the Constitution and with recommendations issued by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. The unanimous adoption of the Law resulted from the patient efforts of civil society, UN Human Rights and other international organizations to develop a unifying draft law and an effective awareness-raising and advocacy campaign. These efforts began in earnest in 2012 when the Secretary of State for Women and Family Affairs reactivated and updated the “National Strategy against Violence against Women through their Life Cycle.” A National Commission on Combating Violence against Women was also created in 2012, tasked with developing a road map for action and establishing a committee of multidisciplinary experts to draft a comprehensive law. A participatory and inclusive approach was adopted during the drafting process. Workshops were organized that brought together different actors from all regions of the country. Changes in the Government, in 2015, delayed the drafting process. In 2016, following strong advocacy by the UN and other international partners, the process was re-launched and a second version of the draft was prepared. In July 2016, the draft was approved by the Council of Ministers and subsequently submitted to the Tunisian Parliament. The adoption of the Law, on 26 July 2017, came one year after the draft was presented to the Parliament. This historic legislation completes a set of progressive legal provisions on women’s rights in Tunisia and gives effect to article 46(4) of the 2014 Constitution in line with international human rights conventions. The new law contains numerous positive elements, including a definition of rape in line with international standards, the creation of new offences, such as ‘incest,’ which was not previously included in the Criminal Code, and the raising of the minimum age for sexual consent from 13 to 16 years of age. The Law further considers gender-based violence as a public order offence, therefore allowing for the prosecution of an accused person, even if a victim withdraws the complaint. It also establishes a new police corps that is responsible for dealing with cases of gender-based violence. The adoption of the Law on Violence against Women is a landmark in Tunisia’s democratic transition. The commitment and perseverance demonstrated by Tunisian civil society and the authorities to secure adoption of the Law should now be channelled towards its effective implementation so that that the Law can help tangibly improve the lives of millions of women and girls in Tunisia. UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2017 27