A/HRC/10/73 Page 7 will be required to make this a sustainable organ of the Government. The Government noted in the OHCHR compilation report the reference to the recommendation of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in 2005 and of the Human Rights Committee that an independent human rights institution be established. Barbados equally recognizes that civil society in Barbados needs to be further involved in human rights activism and that the establishment of a human rights unit is a first step in this direction. 25. Barbados is well seized of its obligations to provide an optimal social and economic environment for its citizens, taking into account their economic and social rights. In January 2008, the newly elected Government created a ministry which has the family as one of its major responsibilities. The Government is convinced that there will be a consolidation of policies aimed at strengthening the family unit and promoting the rights of the child. 26. Among the social services offered to the people of Barbados, education has always been paramount and serves as a vehicle for social mobility. This has been a major area of emphasis for successive Governments in Barbados. They have all subscribed to the policy that education is a primary catalyst for social change. Barbados is Millennium Development Goal Plus with respect to education, as there is universal primary education, equal access to secondary education, which is compulsory up to age 16, and free tertiary education. The Government has also instituted the Community Technology Programme to introduce people to computer applications. 27. The Minister stated that, as in all societies, there are certain issues and challenges which are present and Barbados identified some of these in the report. He stated that Barbados intends to confront these issues and have them resolved to the best of its abilities. These include the drafting of legislation on sexual harassment in the workplace and an intensification of the work of the National Task Force on Crime Prevention to prevent violence against women, genderbased violence and violence in schools. This will be achieved through the planning and execution of crime-prevention programmes in schools and communities. 28. As a small island developing State, Barbados continues to experience challenges as a result of its inherent economic and environmental vulnerabilities. In the current climate of international financial uncertainty, its vulnerability increases. Barbados can nevertheless be proud of its achievements and can boast best practices, despite the challenges and constraints. The Minister stated that Barbados is proud to have free access to education up to the tertiary level for all citizens and free access to primary and secondary health care, as these are all crucial elements in fostering a culture and environment of knowledge and social rights; they are the most important investments in its people and society. Barbados has been constantly ranked high on the United Nations development index thanks to the visionary and competent leadership of its political directorates and the pride and passion of its people, and hopes that it will continue to maintain this high level of social and human development for generations to come. 29. The Head of Delegation indicated that the Government intends to introduce integrity legislation, a freedom of information act and reform of the defamation laws soon. Barbados will also be introducing constituency empowerment councils, which will decentralize decisionmaking authority and promote the monitoring of public resource expenditure with the aim of encouraging greater participatory democracy. 30. In conclusion, the Minister stated that Barbados has the third oldest Parliament in the western hemisphere and enjoys free and fair elections, freedom of the press and independence of