A/HRC/42/9 and respond to gender-based violence and other forms of violence in society. It observed that, notwithstanding those developments, there was still room for improvement. 84. The Netherlands recognized the challenges faced by Dominica in addressing the damage caused by the natural disasters that had affected the island in recent years, and commended the country for taking adequate action to address the immediate needs of its people in the aftermath. It welcomed the efforts made by the Government to improve the realization of women’s rights, in particular the legal provisions on marital rape and stricter penalties for sexual offences. However, the Netherlands was concerned about the persistence of discrimination and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons and about the high number of child abuse cases. 85. Panama commended the progress made on issues related to children, adolescents and gender. In particular, it welcomed the process for the ratification of several universal human rights instruments, the criminalization of marital rape and the adoption of measures aimed at guaranteeing the empowerment of women. Panama noted that Dominica was highly vulnerable to natural disasters and the effects of climate change, and that those challenges could not be faced by national authorities alone. It encouraged Dominica to request technical assistance in that area. 86. Peru acknowledged the efforts made by Dominica to comply with its international commitments regarding the promotion and protection of human rights, despite having suffered enormous damage as a result of the hurricanes of 2015 and 2017. Peru made recommendations. 87. The Philippines noted the progress made by Dominica in the area of human rights since its previous review, particularly in strengthening the country’s resilience with regard to the adverse impacts of climate change and in efforts to increase women’s representation in public office. The Philippines welcomed the development of a draft national gender policy for the period 2018 to 2028, aimed at achieving an integrated approach to addressing gender-based violence, including domestic violence and sexual violence. 88. Portugal strongly welcomed the fact that, since the previous review, the Government of Dominica had been working towards enacting legislation to protect children, in the areas of child care and protection, adoption and juvenile justice, among others. Portugal made recommendations. 89. Senegal noted with satisfaction the action taken by Dominica in the field of women’s and children’s rights through the draft national gender policy, the amendment of the Sexual Offences Act, and the adoption, in 2018, of the National Child Protection Action Plan. Senegal also welcomed the development of national programmes to alleviate poverty and to better take into account the needs of older persons, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. 90. Serbia acknowledged that Dominica had shown a clear determination to fortify existing legislative and administrative frameworks and to foster deeper collaboration and cooperation with human rights agencies, organizations and advocacy groups, in its quest to protect all persons within its jurisdiction. It was particularly commendable that the country had continued to promote human rights standards, despite confronting constant, new and emerging challenges, such as being severely ravaged by natural disasters, specifically tropical storms. 91. Seychelles commended the efforts made by Dominica to guarantee fundamental human rights to all, even while dealing with the repercussions of devastating natural disasters and adverse climate conditions in recent years. It particularly noted the enactment of the Climate Resilience Act and the establishment of the Climate Resilience Execution Agency. 92. Slovenia welcomed the adoption of the Climate Resilience Act and the establishment of the Climate Resilience Execution Agency. It urged Dominica to adopt a human rights-based approach in its climate and environmental policies. Moreover, it sought information on whether the Dominican authorities were taking steps to sign and ratify the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Escazú Agreement). 10