A/HRC/21/4 unemployment and underemployment; and increased investment for education, health, housing, social security, environment, social inclusion and other areas. 8. Ecuador was currently a pioneer in the implementation of public policies of new collective rights, such as the fundamental right to water and the recognition of the rights of nature in the Constitution. In that regard, Ecuador had taken preventive measures and had restricted activities which could lead to the extinction of species, the destruction of ecosystems or the permanent alteration of natural cycles. 9. Ecuador had also taken significant steps to securing the right to food. The Constitution established the principle of food sovereignty and the rights of all persons and groups to have access to healthy, sufficient and nutritious food. More than half a million children had thus benefited through child development services. 10. The incidence of child labour had also decreased and child labour in garbage areas had been eradicated. 11. With regard to the situation of economic, social and cultural rights, Ecuador noted that it had taken affirmative action to incorporate into the public sector persons who were part of priority groups, such as persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, AfroEcuadorians and Montubio people, and women. 12. The Government had eliminated recruitment by hour, recruitment through intermediaries, and other forms of labour conditions that were considered a form of slavery. Ecuador was committed to decreasing the rate of unemployment and underemployment. The percentage of workers with social security affiliation had also grown in 2011. 13. As regards education, the Constitution established that education would be mandatory up to the secondary level and free up to the third university level. Ecuador had also significantly increased its spending on education. 14. With regard to the right to health, Ecuador had established it as right to be fulfilled by the State, closely linked with the enjoyment of other rights, such as the right to water, food, education, physical education, work, social security, a good environment and other rights that formed the basis of good living. 15. As regards the right to housing, Ecuador had also made significant efforts. As at June 2011, 70.4 per cent of families had their own house. Housing bonuses had also been provided between 2008 and 2010 to improve the population’s living conditions. 16. On the subject of civil and political rights, Ecuador reported on initiatives to encourage a more active participation of the population in decision-making, and accountability mechanisms to combat corruption in all public and private sectors. For the first time, Ecuador had granted the right to vote to Ecuadorians living abroad, to persons deprived of their liberty and to members of the armed forces and police, and had lowered the minimum voting age to 16. 17. With regard to the right to freedom of expression, Ecuador guaranteed to its inhabitants the right to free, intercultural, inclusive, diverse and participative communication in all areas of social interaction. It also guaranteed the right to information of quality without any censorship. The right of access to and use of radio frequencies and public televisions, private or communal, was also guaranteed in the Constitution. 18. Ecuador made reference to reforms to the Criminal Code undertaken in 2009, such as the inclusion of the crime of genocide, in conformity with the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, as well as other reforms. 19. Ecuador further reported on progress made in the implementation of recommendations formulated during its first review in 2008 (A/HRC/8/20). 4