A/HRC/18/15 expressed its willingness to avail itself of capacity-building assistance in whatever form it was offered. As a small State dedicated to human rights, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was eager to add its voice to the weight of international consensus on human rights through the ratification of the relevant treaties. However, each of the treaties incurred a financial cost or a reporting burden that was often difficult to meet. In acting in solidarity with international opinion on human rights issues, small States often found themselves later singled out for failing to meet their reporting burdens. 57. Regarding the issuance of a standing invitation to special procedures, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines expressed caution that, given the existing number of special procedures, a standing invitation might impose an unwelcome financial burden on small States. No Caribbean Community State had extended a standing invitation to special procedures. However, more than half of the 82 States that had extended such an invitation were from Europe. In the light of those facts, the Human Rights Council was encouraged to explore ways in which the benefits of a standing invitation could be better explained to other States. Also, the Council should consider extending assistance to small States that issued standing invitations. 58. With regard to child pornography, the delegation referred to the existing legislative framework, which would make it difficult for child pornography to flourish. 59. Regarding female offenders, the delegation clarified that women in prison facilities were held separately from male detainees and their rights were respected. On the excessive use of force of the police service, the delegation admitted its existence and reported that the Government was training police forces, although there was still some insensitivity in that regard. 60. With regard to the criminal age of responsibility, the delegation invited concerned States to review the Common Law. The law provided that a child aged 8 or under would not be considered criminally responsible, but between the ages of 8 and 16 there was a judicial inquiry into the capacity of a child to understand right or wrong and whether the child should be charged as an adult. 61. The delegation indicated that juveniles were not hosted together with the adult population but in a separate detention facility. Referring to the Debtors Act and its criminal penalties, the delegation reported that it had been revised. 62. Some successes in the battle against HIV/AIDS had been recorded. Mother-to-child transmission of the disease had been virtually eliminated, and the rate of infection had stabilized. Infected persons were also living for longer periods of time. Because of that, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines currently faced the challenge of sourcing more advanced antiretroviral medication, and called on the producers of such second-line medicines to make them available to poor and small States. 63. Regarding the impacts of climate change on the enjoyment of human rights, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines emphasized the devastating impact of recent hurricanes and flash floods. Those weather events were becoming increasingly frequent and intense, and were occurring beyond the traditional “seasons” for such activity. Climate change was causing massive damage to homes and infrastructure, and to the enjoyment of individual rights. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines thanked States that had provided assistance in the wake of recent weather events. 64. Jamaica noted that it was mindful of the challenges faced by small island developing States. Jamaica congratulated Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for its accomplishments in the areas of housing, education, social security, health and provisions for children, women and persons with disabilities. It highlighted positive results in the area of education, such as the increase in accessibility to education for children with disabilities, and the reduction in 11