A/HRC/39/5 against women and girls, particularly in the family context. Luxembourg was still concerned about the situation in the prison environment. 65. Madagascar appreciated the actions taken to promote and protect human rights, including the ratification in 2016 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and the amendment of the Penal Code to strengthen the provisions on combating violence against children. It welcomed the consolidation of the rule of law through the adoption in 2016 of the third National Plan to Combat Sexual Violence against Children and Adolescents, and the revision of the Penal Code to bring national legislation into line with the Rome Statute. 66. Maldives was encouraged by the numerous legislative and constitutional measures that had been taken to ensure the promotion and protection of the rights of vulnerable people and groups. It welcomed the 2017–2019 National Plan to Combat Sexual Violence against Children and Adolescents and the decree-law that had established procedures for recruitment and selection in public administration for persons with disabilities. 67. Mexico recognized the efforts Cabo Verde had made to maintain openness to international scrutiny and fluid cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights through the submission of reports and its willingness to receive Special Rapporteurs on official visits, and commended it on its efforts to maintain and expand that collaboration. It congratulated Cabo Verde for its commitment to the review mechanism and recognized the progress it had made with respect to the previous cycle, including the adoption of national plans and the ratification of international human rights instruments. 68. Montenegro welcomed the efforts Cabo Verde had made in improving the human rights framework, namely, the full prohibition of corporal punishment, simplification of the birth registration process and improved access to preschool education. It welcomed the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, among others. 69. Morocco commended the efforts Cabo Verde had made to promote and protect human rights, particularly the appointment of the Ombudsman, the adoption of the Second National Plan for Human Rights and Citizenship, the adoption of the National Plan to Combat Gender-based Violence and the reform of the Penal Code to strengthen efforts to combat human trafficking. 70. Mozambique praised Cabo Verde for the strides it had made in its legal framework, particularly the revision of the Penal Code to criminalize trafficking in persons and to introduce international crimes, such as crimes of genocide. It commended Cabo Verde for its ratification of international human rights instruments and its constructive engagement with the treaty bodies. 71. The delegation of Cabo Verde stated that the Office of the Ombudsman had been in operation since 2014 and had received 492 complaints as at 2017, the vast majority of which had already been accepted. 72. Concerning strategies to combat poverty in rural areas, the Government had created a programme to fund activities and develop the farming sector. The programme, which had been created in 2014, focused on the professional capacity-building of women and guaranteed a minimum income for families in need. 73. The Government was making efforts to ensure that the National Human Rights Commission complied fully with the Paris Principles in order to guarantee its full effectiveness and independence. The National Assembly was discussing how to implement those changes. 74. The delegation reaffirmed that the Government was making significant efforts and financial commitments to improve prison conditions and new prison guards had been hired to improve prison safety and reduce the workload of existing prison guards. Work was being done in Praia prison and prisons on other islands to improve detention conditions, and steps were being taken to facilitate the social reintegration of prisoners, from education to vocational training, in order to ensure that prisoners had the option of work in order to facilitate their reintegration. 8