A/HRC/19/12 achieving gross enrolment of 85 per cent in higher education, placing it second in Latin America. It made recommendations. 46. Lebanon praised Venezuela’s efforts to guarantee the rights to education, health and food of its citizens without discrimination. It commended Venezuela’s affirmative and sustained actions to foster national belonging by enabling all components of society, regardless of ethnic or social origin, to participate in cultural, social and political life. It acknowledged Venezuela’s long-standing support for the just Arab cause in the Middle East. It made recommendations. 47. The Syrian Arab Republic noted the efforts of the Government to promote human rights, despite challenges and pressure. It praised the country’s achievements in public health. It made a recommendation. 48. Sri Lanka noted the positive measures taken to reduce poverty and income inequalities. It commended Venezuela for achieving the MDGs on reducing extreme poverty and ensuring access to drinking water and sanitation, and for policies in enhancing access to education. It acknowledged the allocation of public funds and the new social systems to protect the rights of women and children. It made recommendations. 49. Slovakia welcomed the establishment of the Ministry for Women and Gender Equality and the National Institute for Women. It acknowledged that Venezuela was a party to most major international human rights instruments and noted that it was important to implement them and that deficiencies remained. Slovakia made recommendations. 50. Brazil recognized that there were important developments in Venezuela, such as the reduction of extreme poverty, child malnutrition and social inequality. Brazil expressed its readiness to share its experience in establishing a National Human Rights Secretariat and added that it was essential to support the institutional channels of dialogue between the state and civil society. Brazil made recommendations. 51. Angola acknowledged the efforts made to protect and promote human rights and in particular the creation of the legal framework for the protection of women’s rights as well as the establishment of a number of institutions in this respect. Several specialized courts and the office of the Prosecutor were created to combat domestic violence. Angola made recommendations. 52. Turkey praised the efforts and the advance of the Government in the eradication of poverty. It welcomed the adoption of the “Great Venezuelan Housing Mission” to meet the needs for housing. It shared the concern regarding the urgent need for prison reform and praised the establishment of a new Ministry for Penitentiary Services. Turkey made recommendations. 53. Singapore noted that Venezuela had emerged from several internal conflicts and political crises. It noted it was one of the most urbanized countries in Latin America, with a high literacy rate of more than 95 per cent and a free national health-care system. It noted the establishment of the National Commission for Police Reform to develop a new policing model consistent with the Constitution and international human rights principles. It made recommendations. 54. Malaysia was pleased that Venezuela achieved the MDGs relating to reducing extreme poverty and ensuring access to drinking water and sanitation. It was interested to learn about the measures taken by the Government to ensure the achievement of other MDGs such as universal primary education, gender equality and reduction in infant mortality, and about steps taken to reduce structural economic inequalities affecting minorities and indigenous people. Malaysia made recommendations. 8