A/HRC/13/56 rights of vulnerable groups such as children, women and the elderly. It was convinced that Brunei Darussalam would continue to work on the basis of the realities of the country and make further progress in human rights. 3. General comments made by other relevant stakeholders 672. Federatie Van Netherlandse Verenigingen Tot Integratie Van Homoseksualiteit COC Nederland addressed the recommendation made by a number of States calling for the repeal of or amendment to the Penal Code section providing for criminal sanctions against “carnal intercourse against the order of nature”. It noted that such ambiguous language was often used to criminalize sexual activity between same-sex consenting adults, and urged Brunei Darussalam to bring its legislation into conformity with international human rights standards by repealing such provisions. It noted that legislation criminalizing same-sex activities also created a dangerous impediment to the effective prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, citing figures that HIV transmission could be up to 10 times greater in countries with repressive laws against homosexuality, as they made it less likely for gays and lesbians to seek treatment. 4. Concluding remarks of the State under review 673. The delegation of Brunei Darussalam expressed its sincere gratitude to all States Members and observers of the Council and to the non-governmental organizations that participated in its review. It also thanked the delegations that recognized Brunei Darussalam’s achievements in the promotion and protection of human rights. 674. The delegation reiterated that the universal periodic review had been very useful for Brunei Darussalam, and stated that it had learned much on the importance of this mechanism in promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms through the interactive dialogue. The constructive comments and recommendations would help Brunei Darussalam further in its efforts to promote and protect the human rights of its people. Brunei Darussalam assured that it would continue to work and cooperate with the related United Nations bodies, including on matters relating to the rights of women and children. Costa Rica 675. The review of Costa Rica was held on 8 December 2009 in conformity with all the relevant provisions contained in Council resolution 5/1, and was based on the following documents: (a) The national report submitted by Costa Rica in accordance with the annex to Council resolution 5/1, paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/6/CRI/1); (b) The compilation prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/6/CRI/2); (c) The summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/6/CRI/3). 676. At its 32nd meeting, on 19 March 2010, the Council considered and adopted the outcome of the review on Costa Rica (see section C below). 677. The outcome of the review on Costa Rica comprises the report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (A/HRC/13/15), the views of Costa Rica concerning the recommendations and/or conclusions, and its voluntary commitments and replies presented before the adoption of the outcome by the plenary to questions or issues that were not sufficiently addressed during the interactive dialogue in the Working Group (see also A/HRC/13/15/Add.1). 180

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