A/HRC/55/51/Add.1 14. Overall, the Special Rapporteur credits the Government of Paraguay with the positive views of minorities that the society in general is receptive and tolerant. There may be individual incidents of prejudice, xenophobia, racism or intolerance, but they are generally quite rare and unrepresentative, according to the testimonies heard by the Special Rapporteur, and a national campaign that celebrates and highlights the many positive contributions of all segments of society could enrich the multicultural mosaic that is the reality of Paraguayan society. V. Legal and institutional framework A. International framework 15. The Special Rapporteur congratulates the Government of Paraguay for its very high level of engagement with United Nations human rights mechanisms, its ratification of a large number of treaties and its active presence and voice at the United Nations. 16. Overall, Paraguay has a positive record with regard to its engagement with international human rights institutions and mechanisms, being a party to almost all the core human rights treaties. The most recent ratification was of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, on 3 August 2010. Nevertheless, the country still has not ratified the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and has not taken any steps towards its ratification, despite its commitment towards the ratification in the context of the second cycle of the universal periodic review, in 2016,5 and as recommended by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in 2015,6 recommendations reiterated by six States in the context of the third cycle of the universal periodic review, in 2021.7 Even though the Government has not explicitly rejected its intention of ratifying,8 the Special Rapporteur is concerned that there could be a lack of willingness to compromise on the improvement of some sensitive areas in the country, such as housing, education and health. 17. In addition, Paraguay has not recognized the competence of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to receive and examine individual communications, which is an international protection framework that could strengthen respect of minority rights in the country. Likewise, at the regional level, Paraguay has not adopted measures to ratify recent human rights treaties of the inter-American system, which contain international protection clauses on sensitive issues related to minority rights, such as the Inter-American Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination and Related Forms of Intolerance and the Inter-American Convention against All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance. 18. Overall, the country has made a good commitment to the international framework. Paraguay has received visits from 13 special rapporteurs in the past 25 years. 9 It was a 5 6 7 8 9 4 A/HRC/32/9, para. 102.1 (recommendations made by Uruguay, Djibouti, France, Ghana, Montenegro and Portugal). E/C.12/PRY/CO/4, para. 34. A/HRC/48/9, paras. 118.1 and 118.2 (recommendations made by Bahamas, Costa Rica, France, Mongolia, Morocco and Niger). A/HRC/48/9/Add.1, para. 6. Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes (14–19 June 1998), Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children (23 February–5 March 2004), Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (22–29 November 2006), Special Rapporteur on the right to education (14–22 April 2009), Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief (23–30 March 2011), Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights (12–16 December 2011), Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples (21–28 November 2014), Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (23 September–6 October 2015), Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities (18–28 November 2015), Special Rapporteur on the right to food (4–10 November 2016), Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences (17–24 July 2017), Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the GE.23-23380