A/HRC/8/39 Page 15 individual rights. Benin wishes to commit itself to take all necessary measures to make human rights effective and universal, in conformity with the UPR and request the support of the international community to make human rights a triumph in Benin. II. CONCLUSIONS AND/OR RECOMMENDATIONS 56. In the course of the discussion, the following recommendations were made to Benin: 1. Recommended that Benin strengthen its cooperation with special procedures of the Human Rights Council, by accepting visits, replying to communications, urgent measures as well as to questions by special procedures (Mexico); 2. Recommended to Benin to take steps to promote institutions and human rights bodies and to search the support of the international community (Brazil); 3. Recommended that Benin systematically and continuously integrate a gender perspective in the follow-up process to the review (Slovenia); 4. Recommended that Benin reinforce measures to ensure that women are no longer subjected to forced marriage. This could be supported by developing and implementing comprehensive educational measures on the provisions of the Persons and Family Code and on other relevant laws (Denmark); 5. Recommended to Benin to take the necessary steps to strengthen its fight against discriminatory practices and violence against women (France); 6. Recommended that Benin consider decriminalizing homosexual activities between consenting adults (Belgium); 7. Recommended that Benin continue its efforts to completely abolish the death penalty, respecting thus the right to life of every human being (Holy See); 8. Invited Benin to consider the abolition of death penalty and to consider ratifying the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights aiming at the abolition of the death penalty (Mexico); 9. Recommended that Benin, following the recommendation of the Committee against Torture, establish without further delay an effective and independent national preventive mechanism (Denmark); 10. Recommended that Benin urgently amend its criminal law to comply with international relevant standards (Denmark); 11. Recommended that Benin develop an awareness campaign to address traditional beliefs that are harmful to the rights of children, especially their right to life (Holy See); 12. Recommended that Benin establish torture as a criminal offence in accordance with article 1 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and stipulate that obeying orders of superiors can not justify it (Canada);