A/HRC/30/15 8. The Government’s economic reform programme had yielded positive results, including unemployment reduction, economic growth, reduced inflation, a narrowing of the current-account deficit and increased local and foreign investments. 9. The needs of the vulnerable remained a top priority for the Government, which is why the first comprehensive social protection strategy of Jamaica had been developed in 2013 and, in March 2014, the Cabinet had approved a social protection strategy. The Government was currently developing a new national poverty policy and programme and a poverty reduction coordination unit had been established in the Planning Institute of Jamaica to oversee this process. 10. The Government understood that seeking to reduce crime and violence and improve social harmony were not incompatible with a sustained commitment to human rights but rather complementary. The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms afforded protection to the rights and freedoms of persons to the extent that those rights and freedoms did not prejudice the rights and freedoms of others. The Government thus remained determined to reduce crime and violence, including through an increased emphasis on social interventions, community programmes and more effective policing. The Jamaica Constabulary Force had acquired new equipment and technology, established additional posts and increased recruitment, and Jamaica had registered a marked downward trend in serious crimes over the past five years. 11. Regarding recommendations made during the first universal periodic review of Jamaica, the Cabinet had approved the establishment of an inter-agency steering committee on the review, which had been given the following tasks: to review the recommendations that Jamaica had accepted during the 2010 review; to develop an action plan, including strategies and timelines, to advance the implementation of those recommendations; to support efforts aimed at raising awareness about the promotion and protection of human rights; and, where necessary, to recommend possible changes to existing pieces of legislation. 12. Since its review, Jamaica had ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and would consider ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In addition, Parliament had passed a comprehensive Disabilities Act in October 2014. 13. Jamaica had submitted reports to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Human Rights Committee and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. 14. Jamaica was still putting in place the relevant domestic legislation that could give effect to the implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; acts of torture had never been condoned nor accepted as a practice in Jamaica. Significant progress was being made in addressing many of the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in his report on his visit to Jamaica in 2012, including concerning conditions in detention facilities. 15. Jamaica was at an advanced stage in the drafting of the legislation to bring its domestic law into compliance with the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The Cabinet had already approved ratification of the Rome Statute once the required domestic legislation was in place. 16. At the primary and secondary levels, human rights education was included in the national curricula and in all levels of teacher training. The Jamaica Constabulary Force had 4