A/HRC/13/12 against Domestic Violence Act. Djibouti stated that it is fully aware that Dominica is facing many challenges in promoting and protecting human rights and called upon the international community to provide technical assistance to Dominica in order to achieve the millennium development goals. Djibouti made recommendations. 63. Bangladesh stated that it fully understood the formidable challenges Dominica faced due to it being a small island developing country which is exposed to serious environmental, social and economic vulnerabilities. These factors impede the efforts of the country in realising the human rights of its people. Concerns expressed by the treaty bodies especially in the areas of health, education, safe drinking water and other concerns, can only be effectively addressed if root causes, as identified are taken care-off. Without resources, Dominica will not be able to provide health care, education, access to safe drinking water, adequate housing and employment. It will not be able to make progress in the areas of political rights highlighted by many states. Dominica is doing its part and the international community must extend a helping hand in complimenting Dominica’s efforts. 64. Dominica thanked the President and was grateful to all the speakers that have spoken and stated that they were well aware of all the human rights reality and welcomed all the questions and recommendations put forward. 65. The delegation referred to a few broad categories of questions and recommendations in its response. On the question of ratification of human rights conventions that have not yet been ratified, the delegation mentioned the Convention on Elimination of Racial Discrimination and stressed that Dominica will be looking at this convention very seriously. The Convention on Torture was also an important one and Dominica will look at the other human rights conventions that have not yet been ratified. 66. The delegation indicated that Dominica will be making every effort to produce the report for the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in 2010. The delegation agreed that that was an arena that needed to be addressed. 67. As far as amendment of legislations, the issue of the death penalty was not the easiest issue to deal with because there was a societal value attached to that and given the increasing crime in the country, even though Dominica has the lowest crime in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the issue of the death penalty was one that the delegation could agree, at the minimum, to a moratorium. As stated before, there was a de facto moratorium on the death penalty and no one was executed since 1986. The delegation believed this will continue. As to whether the death penalty can be abolished, was an issue for the Government to decide and the delegation could not make any comment in this regard. 68. In respect of the other challenges, Dominica’s highest priority was to fight poverty and giving equal treatment to people in all the arenas and in other sectors whether in health or education. Dominica called on the international community to continue to engage with us it address those social developments. The delegation referred to the problem of HIV/AIDS and welcomed the support from international entities – such as the Global Fund, and bilateral support received from many countries. Dominica’s problem was that in a few years time when the funding ran out, with the commitments that have been made, Dominica will be expected to shoulder that burden. That will be an enormous challenge. 69. The delegation was very pleased that they have reached this far in this engagement with the Human Rights Council on the human rights equation and Dominica endeavoured to work very closely with the Council. Dominica was open to having engagement with Special Procedures mandate holders. There were no major human rights problems and it was open to having the international community come in and help to understand the problem and to address them whether it is in the area of legislation, such as getting technical assistance to deal with amending its laws or writing new laws. Dominica was 12