Monaco is a constitutional monarchy in which the Prince plays a leading role in government, sharing power with the Minister of State, whom he appoints as head of government from a list of candidates proposed by France. The interior ministry is always headed by a French national. Legislative power is shared between the Prince and the elected 24-member National Council. Elections for the national council are held every 5 years on the basis of universal suffrage and secret ballot; they have been deemed free and fair. The National Council may propose legislation, but only the Prince may initiate it. The constitution can only be suspended by agreement between the Prince and the Council.

3 consultative bodies are in place: the 7-person Crown Council, composed of Monegasque nationals, which must be consulted on certain questions of national importance; the 12-member Council of State, not restricted to Monegasque citizens, which advises the Prince on legislation and regulations; the 30-member Economic Council, which includes representatives of employers and trade unions. There are 5 women on the National Council, 1 woman on the Crown Council and 4 women on the Economic Council. There are no members of minorities in the government.

Discrimination based on race, gender, disability, language or social status is prohibited, and the law is enforced.

The judiciary is independent in law and practice. The members of the Supreme Court are appointed by the Prince on recommendation of the National Council.

Public access to government information is legislated, giving citizens and non-citizens, including the foreign media, access to government information. Freedom of speech and of the press are guaranteed in law, but public denunciation of the royal family is not permitted; other than the restriction on royal comment the media work freely. Internet access is not restricted.

No reports of government corruption are cited.

Education is compulsory, free and universal for children aged 6 to 16. The syllabus is the same as that used in France. In addition the history of Monaco, the institutions of the Principality and the Monegasque language are studied. Primary education is provided in 4 establishments. Secondary education is split among 3 schools. Though children belonging to 120 different nationalities live in Monaco, an effort has been made to enable all children to receive education.

A 3-year programme begins at age 3. At this level 26% of education is private.

Education is compulsory for ages 6 to 16. Primary school begins at age 6 and continues for 5 years.

Secondary education begins at age 11 and is completed in 7 years.

358 students from Monaco study abroad, mainly in France (295), United Kingdom (31), Italy (9), the USA (8) and Switzerland (6).

Discrimination against persons with disabilities is prohibited in education and in other state services, and the law is enforced. Special education structures and remedial programmes are provided. Children who do not speak French are provided with special language training programmes, since French is the language of instruction.

The law provides for the granting of asylum or refugee status in accordance with the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol. The government has established a system for providing protection to refugees. The government does not grant political asylum or refugee status unless the request also meets French criteria for such status. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child raised concerns over the fact that refugee children and their families do not have access to procedures for claiming refugee status because of the obligation to comply first with French refugee application procedures.

In a report to the UN Economic and Social Committee Monaco was characterised as home to 120 nationalities, so that nationals themselves are a minority. 30% of children in schools are from families that do not reside in Monaco.

Reports do not indicate any restrictions of academic freedom beyond the laws concerning the Royal Family.

Women are reported to have the same rights as men in law but in practice to suffer discrimination. Women who are naturalised citizens cannot transmit citizenship to their children, while men can. Equal pay for work of equal value is legislated.

Sexual harassment is illegal. Women are well represented in the professions but not in business. Violence against women is reported to be rare, and police lay criminal charges against those who commit domestic acts of violence.

The minimum age for employment is 16. Anyone employing children under 16 can be punished under criminal law. Special conditions of work apply to youth aged 16 to 18, whose hours and conditions of work are limited. The law protects children from exploitation in the workplace.

Workers can form and join trade unions, except for government employees. Fewer than 10% of workers are union members. Unions are independent of government and political parties. Collective bargaining is permitted but rarely used, and few workers are covered by collective agreements. Workers have the right to strike, again except for government employees.

Forced or compulsory labour is prohibited and reports do not indicate such practices occur. The French minimum wage applies. It is US$9.60 (8 euros) an hour, with an additional 5% adjustment. Most workers are paid more than the minimum wage. The legal work week is 39 hours, and it can be reduced to 35 hours if employers so choose.