EXECUTIVE SUMMARY administration. However, the acute problems of overstaffing and unattractive remuneration need to be resolved as a matter of urgency. 3.13 It is particularly difficult to obtain reliable data on corruption in politics. Corruption was nonetheless observed to be rife in political life and “deals” are not unusual in governance discourse. 3.14 In terms of the promotion and protection of women, tangible progress has been made in the different political, economic and social spheres as a result of committed action by Algerian women to promote gender and gender equality. However, inadequacies remain and numerous political, socio-economic, cultural and religious constraints need to be overcome. 3.15 The same observations can be made about the problem of children whose parents are unknown or who have been abandoned; young people facing serious employment and their exposure to violence, drugs and delinquency; inadequate care for the elderly, the close on 3 000 000 disabled persons; and the legal status of refugees and immigrants. 3.16 It is true that, when reviewing Algeria‟s current situation, real prospects for national reconciliation and the development of constitutional democracy and rule of law are discernible. The fact remains, however, that much remains to be done to consolidate peace and stability and to promote human rights in general, with special attention to gender, relationships between men and women, anticorruption campaigns, promotion of social dialogue, participation of citizens, and strengthening the effectiveness of the administration. 3.17 Algeria is at a crossroads, emerging from a decade of terror and negation of fundamental rights, which explains the depth and seriousness of the challenges it faces, including the achievement of national reconciliation and peacebuilding; the challenge posed by democratic consolidation of the rule of law and society; the challenge of ensuring equal promotion and protection of human rights in daily life, of promoting gender equality and protecting the youth and other groups including the disabled, the elderly, immigrants and refugees; the issue of reform and modernisation of public administration, including how to combat corruption – which even the country‟s leaders concede to be one of the greatest ills in Algerian society. 3.18 The CRM observed certain best practices in political governance, for which it commends the Algerian authorities. Chief among these are: (i) national reconciliation in the context of the anti-terror campaign; (ii) community policing to ensure security and rebuild the social relationship between citizens and the security services; (iii) facilitating access of the public to justice and guaranteeing their rights; (iv) the Observatory of the Employment of Women at the Ministry of Energy and Mines; and (v) the National Association in Support of Children in Difficulty and in Institutions (ANSEDI). 3.19 With regard to the foregoing, the APR Panel recommends, in particular, that steps continue to be taken: (i) to ratify outstanding international instruments 10