A/HRC/31/16 standards, in order to provide adequate protection to persons under 18. It also underscored the creation of an education network that permitted access to the Internet. 42. Estonia encouraged the country to continue to strengthen cooperation with civil society. It regretted that the country was still not a party to the most human rights instruments and that progress in implementing the recommendations from the previous review had been modest. Estonia called on the Government to decriminalize defamation and to introduce provisions for defamation in the civil codes. It invited the Government to develop a national gender policy. It noted positively the efforts to strengthen child protection systems. 43. France thanked Saint Kitts and Nevis for the presentation of its national report. 44. Georgia commended Saint Kitts and Nevis for its poverty-reduction efforts and welcomed the establishment of the National Education Foundation, designed to help disadvantaged students through scholarships and grants. 45. Germany commended Saint Kitts and Nevis for efforts to improve the human rights situation, including efforts to reduce poverty and to support children and young people in areas of education and rehabilitation. It expressed concern about the high rate of homicide and welcomed steps taken to tackle that issue. 46. Ghana commended Saint Kitts and Nevis for ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and encouraged the ratification of the Kampala amendments to the Statute. Saint Kitts and Nevis had yet to ratify a significant number of international human rights treaties, despite recommendations in that regard from the previous review. 47. Guatemala welcomed the adoption of the National Social Protection Strategy 20132017. It shared the opinion of the OHCHR Subregional Office about the importance that the country should introduce a national human rights institution in conformity with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles). It shared the concern of UNESCO that laws on freedom of information had not been adopted and that defamation and slander were considered crimes. It highlighted the importance of establishing a national legal framework to provide protection for refugees. 48. Haiti thanked Saint Kitts and Nevis for its comprehensive and voluminous national report. 49. Indonesia appreciated the continued engagement in the universal periodic review process. It noted that Saint Kitts and Nevis had focused on the overall quality of life of its people and had supported policies to address poverty reduction, while expressing the view that all countries should review their human rights policies with a view to establishing strong national human rights mechanisms. It also noted the adoption of the White Paper on Education and Policy. 50. Ireland commended Saint Kitts and Nevis for the positive steps to deal with domestic violence, but remained concerned that the law did not cover marital rape. It urged Saint Kitts and Nevis to criminalize marital rape and establish and maintain shelters for victims of domestic violence; decriminalize libel and defamation and provide for freedom of information; and take concrete steps to abolish the death penalty and institute a moratorium on its use. Ireland remained concerned about reports of violence and discrimination of persons because of their sexual orientation. 51. Jamaica noted the initiatives taken to increase social protection and in relation to poverty reduction, the protection of children and the empowerment of women, young people and the elderly. It also noted the construction of a mixed-gender juvenile rehabilitation facility and the introduction of single-sex education at the primary school 8