A/HRC/41/2 promote the inclusion of gender and protection in humanitarian preparedness and response. In this regard, it recommended that the Government strengthen the National Gender and Protection Cluster by allocating more resources and ensuring that gender and protection are mainstreamed throughout national preparedness and response mechanisms. Furthermore, it noted the continued under-representation of women in national politics, urging the Government to introduce temporary special measures to increase women’s representation in national government. 659. UNPF noted that Vanuatu continued to face unprecedented and unique vulnerabilities, including volcanic activity, rising sea levels and cyclones, due to the effects of climate change. It emphasized the need to consider promotion and protection of human rights within the context of the pervasive impact of climate change. It welcomed the Government’s commitment to including gender and disability as grounds for discrimination, and to improving the health and status of women, young people and persons with disabilities, while noting that, during periods of natural disaster and emergencies, women, including girls, adolescents, young women and elderly women, were particularly vulnerable to violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect. It commended the Government for the establishment of the Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health Policy and Implementation Strategy (2017-2020). It expressed its commitment to providing support to Vanuatu to implement several recommendations related to: prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls; implementation of the Family Protection Act to ensure all gender-based violence cases are duly investigated and prosecuted; reduction of maternal mortality; and implementing effective measures to continue expanding access to healthcare services among rural populations. 660. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela appreciated that, despite the challenges of geographic dispersion and climate change, Vanuatu made efforts to implement the accepted recommendations of the universal periodic review. It praised Vanuatu for the establishment of free primary education, and welcomed the Education Law that sets the age of compulsory schooling between 4 and 18 years. It also encouraged Vanuatu to continue consolidating its successful social policies in favour of the most vulnerable sectors of the population. It urged the international community to provide the cooperation and assistance that Vanuatu requires in order to fulfil its human rights obligations. 661. Viet Nam commended Vanuatu for accepting a large number of recommendations, including the two recommendations made by Viet Nam on promoting and protecting the rights of vulnerable groups in the context of climate change, and promoting access to basic health services. 662. Algeria welcomed the efforts made by Vanuatu in implementing the recommendations of the second cycle universal periodic review, in particular those related to reducing social inequalities, protecting the rights of the child, and providing support to persons with disabilities, in particular through the adoption of the National Policy on Disability Inclusion. It noted the acceptance by Vanuatu of its own recommendations to raise adult literacy rates, prohibit corporal punishment of children in all settings, and protect the rights of persons with disabilities. 107