A/HRC/8/46 Page 22 94. As a part of its commitment to guarantee civil and political rights as well as economic, social and cultural rights of its people, Sri Lanka will continue to align its development strategy within the larger framework of promoting local values and social protection for women, children, elderly and differently-abled people and other vulnerable groups in society and respect for human rights and good governance. 95. Sri Lanka, manifesting its commitment to promote people-oriented development, will work towards the alleviation of poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 through continued investment in social infrastructure, education, and health services in line with the vision of the Government of Sri Lanka for social and economic development. 96. Through modalities including the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Human Rights and the Consultative Committee on Humanitarian Assistance, Sri Lanka will continue to promote and protect human rights, coordinate humanitarian assistance and facilitate the work of local and international agencies providing such assistance. 97. Sri Lanka will continue to take steps to safeguard and advance the rights of children through national mechanisms such as the National Child Protection Authority and the Ministry of Child Development and Women's Empowerment. Sri Lanka will also continue to actively support international processes that seek to advance the rights of the child. 98. Sri Lanka will continue to take steps that seek to advance the empowerment of women and women’s rights and gender equality at national level through the Ministry of Child Development and Women's Empowerment as well as other national mechanisms. Sri Lanka will, at the same time, support international processes that seek to advance women's rights and gender equality. 99. Trafficking of human beings, particularly women and children, is emerging as one of the most urgent issues of today and involves the gross violation of human rights of vulnerable segments of the society. In line with Sri Lanka’s policy of open and constructive engagement with the international community and its commitment to enforce global standards, Sri Lanka will work closely with its partners to combat this heinous activity. 100. Sri Lanka will continue its traditional role of consensus builder and participate actively in the work of the Human Rights Council to make the Council a strong, effective and efficient body – capable of promoting and protecting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all – and will continue to participate in the work of the Council in norm-setting in the field of human rights. 101. Sri Lanka will continue to work towards the submission of its periodic reports to treaty bodies. 102. Sri Lanka will also work with Member States and relevant United Nations bodies to assist the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to formulate proposals for treaty body reforms, with a view to making the treaty body system more effective and in line with present-day requirements of Member States. 103. Sri Lanka will take measures for the effective implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. 104. Sri Lanka will continue to work towards the economic development of the Eastern Province, which will uplift standards of living and the realization of social, economic and cultural rights, and also assist strengthening and smooth functioning of democratic institutions. Sri Lanka will also promote the dissemination and inculcation of best practices, good governance and political