A/HRC/39/12 implement the 191 recommendations accepted from the previous cycle, through a consultative process engaging the Government and civil society. 9. In the past four years, Bangladesh had submitted reports under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Bangladesh had also facilitated a visit by the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and two visits by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. Bangladesh had responded favourably to request for meetings from the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. Before entering into any further international obligations, Bangladesh needed to address capacity-building issues regarding its national institutions. 10. In the past five years, the National Human Rights Commission had been strengthened substantially. Furthermore, 50 parliamentary committees, including 39 standing committees and the Anti-Corruption Commission, were overseeing implementation of universal periodic review recommendations. The independent judiciary continued to play its due role as an effective recourse for justice. 11. Bangladesh maintained a “zero tolerance” policy regarding the criminal liability of law enforcement officials. The law in general neither accorded them immunity from criminal prosecution nor favoured them. Bangladesh unequivocally condemned all incidents of violence against religious and ethnic minorities and addressed allegations of such violence as promptly as possible. 12. To protect the rights of ethnic minorities, the Government had committed to implementing the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord in its entirety. The fifteenth amendment of the Constitution stipulated the State’s responsibility to protect and develop the unique local culture and tradition of the tribal and ethnic communities. 13. The democratic environment was thriving, with over 3,000 local and international non-government organizations currently operating in Bangladesh. Since the second review, 18 new television channels had been approved, bringing the total number to 34, and 2,800 newspapers were operating. Also, the Bangladesh Journalists’ Welfare Trust Act 2014 had been enacted. 14. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index of 2017, Bangladesh had ranked forty-seventh out of 144 countries and first in South Asia. It had ranked seventh in the world for women’s political empowerment. Through the seventeenth amendment of the Constitution, Bangladesh had extended the tenure of women Members of Parliament in reserved seats. One third of the seats had been reserved for women candidates in local body elections. For her pioneering role in empowering women, the Prime Minister had been honoured with the Global Women’s Leadership Award 2018. 15. Bangladesh had enacted the Children Act 2013, updating the earlier Act, and also in 2013 had amended the Birth and Death Registration Act 2004. The Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act had been adopted in 2013. A separate act had been passed in 2013 to address the needs of persons, including children, with mental disorder and autism. The Government had reserved a 1 per cent quota for disabled persons for first-class government jobs and a 10 per cent quota for third- and fourth-class government jobs. 16. The Labour Act 2006 had been amended in 2013, providing flexible procedures for trade union registration and occupational health and safety measures. All garment factories were now recognized as compliant. To promote safe, orderly and regular migration, Bangladesh had enacted the Overseas Employment and Migrants Act 2013. 17. The Government had adopted the National Social Security Strategy in 2015, ensuring the right to social security for unemployed persons, disabled persons, widows, orphans and elderly citizens. Bangladesh had also initiated a life cycle-based social security agenda, covering people of all age groups within the social security net equally and inclusively. 3