A/HRC/18/15 the functional illiteracy rate. Jamaica welcomed the creation of the Gender Affairs Department and the pilot study on gender budgeting and Government resource allocation. Jamaica called on OHCHR to respond appropriately to the needs and concerns expressed, by providing effective and timely technical assistance and capacity-building support. 65. Portugal noted with appreciation the progress achieved in recent years in the fields of democracy, governance and social, economic and cultural rights, with health care and education being provided free of charge to the population. It inquired about measures being considered to prevent the use of corporal punishment against children. It also asked whether Saint Vincent and the Grenadines intended to amend legal provisions, including the Penal Code, so as to replace the death penalty with other penalties that did not include cruel, inhuman or degrading punishments. It made recommendations. 66. Barbados embraced the constitutional protection of human rights, the empowerment of its people and the development of a sustained partnership with civil society. It welcomed efforts to undertake a revision of the Domestic Violence Act of 1998 to include the protection of the rights of women, girls and children from sexual exploitation. Barbados noted the initiatives to ensure the rights of women and their full and active participation in mainstream society. It commended the country on its initiatives to provide social safety nets and its emphasis on initiatives to achieve socio-economic development through improvements in education and health. It encouraged the provision of technical assistance for the revision of legislation and policies in human-rights related areas on which the country was presently working. Barbados made recommendations. 67. Trinidad and Tobago noted that despite being severely affected by the global financial crisis, a hurricane and a decision within the World Trade Organization that had eroded the viability of its once-thriving banana industry, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines had managed to honour its commitment to promote human rights. It commended the importance given to children’s rights and youth development, as evidenced by the country’s social programmes. It commended the delegation for efforts to address poverty, gender equality and the empowerment of women and to combat domestic violence and sexual exploitation of women, and also commended it for the country’s HIV/AIDS programmes. Trinidad and Tobago stated its hope that development partners would be responsive to the needs of that highly vulnerable State. It made recommendations. 68. Ecuador noted advances made by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the area of human rights. It noted the challenges with regard to poverty, unemployment and unequal distribution of wealth. Ecuador encouraged Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to continue developing the country and improving human rights. It congratulated the country on its ratification of human rights international instruments such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. Ecuador made recommendations. 69. Costa Rica asked about measures taken by the country to prevent the negative impact of climate change and the degradation of the environment on the enjoyment of fundamental rights. Costa Rica recognized the challenges and limitations confronted by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and took note of actions taken, particularly in the area of gender equality and the empowerment of women. Costa Rica made recommendations. 70. Haiti congratulated Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for the measures adopted and for its results in the areas of housing and education. It commended the country for its implementation of programmes to improve the living conditions of the population and for the ratification of the main universal human rights instruments. It made recommendations. 71. In response to comments on individual complaint mechanisms, the delegation indicated that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines would hope that, in any context, individuals would exhaust first the domestic legal remedies before going to international 12