A/HRC/19/5 promotion of human rights in Antigua and Barbuda. Among the fundamental freedoms of the individual protected by the Constitution were freedom of movement, conscience, expression, assembly and association irrespective of race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, creed or sex. Subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and the public interest, the Constitution safeguarded the right to life and personal liberty and secured protection from slavery and forced labour, inhuman treatment and deprivation of property. Any person who alleged a breach of any of these rights might apply for redress in the High Court, which had original jurisdiction in all constitutional human rights matters with a right of appeal firstly to its regional Court of Appeal of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and finally to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in Great Britain. The delegation added that the Court of Appeal of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States sat in each of the territories of the member States of the organization and visited Antigua and Barbuda three times a year. 8. Antigua and Barbuda had received a number of questions from various States and would take some of these advanced questions into consideration in its statement. 9. Antigua and Barbuda was a party to various core international human rights treaties and was giving consideration to other conventions to which it was not yet a party; however, it was faced with many development challenges like many of its sister Caribbean islands, with respect to resources, both human and financial, which also adversely affected its timely presentation of reports to treaties to which it was a party. It reiterated, however, that it was committed to meeting all its treaty commitments and would seek to do so on the basis of practical priorities and common sense. 10. Although there was no full participation of State functionaries during the preparation of the report, it provided a comprehensive view of the human rights situation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Legal Affairs did organize and coordinate consultations with groups and organizations within civil society in preparing the national report. The former President of the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights, Clare Roberts, and other human rights activists such as a former State Ombudsman, had established a human rights group in Antigua and Barbuda to monitor reports of abuses and complaints from members of the public, highlighting societal expectations with a view to making recommendations to Government, where deemed necessary. Antigua and Barbuda welcomed such an initiative and would provide the group with all necessary support. 11. With regards to discrimination against women, Antigua and Barbuda had ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1989, and acceded to its Optional Protocol in June 2006. It presented its combined initial and second reports in 1997 and was working to complete its combined third and fourth reports. 12. The Directorate of Gender Affairs continued to work in partnership with other governmental social agencies and non-governmental organizations to provide the necessary support to build and strengthen the capacity of these various groups as they confronted the issue of violence against women, while sharing knowledge and information with the general public. Public awareness and education formed part of the programme of action by the Directorate and in commemorating annual events such as 16 Days of Activism from 25 November to 10 December. These opportunities were used to increase public awareness of the real facts and figures of the incidents of domestic violence within Antigua and Barbuda and to campaign for legislative reform, particularly in judicial procedure. 13. The Directorate had been seeking closer collaboration with the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda under the project “Strengthening State Accountability”, which continued to be supported by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women). The capacities of key stakeholders such as the police, the healthcare providers, and specially trained counsellors had been effectively 4