A/HRC/27/9 and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Denmark highlighted an initiative launched by several countries to help Governments overcome obstacles to ratifying that Convention. 74. Ecuador acknowledged the efforts made by Dominica to implement previous recommendations, in particular those promoting the right to health. It highlighted the common fund for basic needs that aimed to provide communities with resources in order to improve their access to basic services, to increase employment and to reduce poverty. It commended Dominica for its ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and offered to share best practices in that connection. 75. Ethiopia commended Dominica for measures taken to ensure access to education and welcomed its efforts to ensure primary health care. 76. France welcomed the ratification by Dominica of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its issuance of a standing invitation to special procedures mandate holders. 77. Germany asked to know the reason why Dominica had not submitted a national report. It acknowledged the progress made by the country towards the full realization of the human rights of its citizens in the areas of action against domestic violence and physical abuse of children. It called for the abolition of corporal punishment and noted that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons were exposed to prejudice and violence because consensual same-sex activity was criminalized. 78. Ghana welcomed the cooperation of Dominica with special procedures mandate holders and commended it for steps taken to implement some of the recommendations accepted during the first review, including the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol thereto. It expressed the hope that Dominica would accede to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. 79. Indonesia noted that Dominica had faced challenges in implementing a number of commitments made during the first review and observed that there was a need to take substantive action in order to implement them. Establishing a national human rights institution should be a matter of priority, and addressing the right to education was fundamental to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. 80. Iraq said that it appreciated the fact that a human rights plan had been drafted, as well as the efforts made by Dominica to review its legislation, in particular that relating to domestic violence, child abuse and gender equality. It expressed support for the continued efforts of Dominica in that regard. 81. Ireland encouraged Dominica to continue to improve action against domestic violence and physical abuse of children and to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment, and commended it for issuing a standing invitation to special procedures mandate-holders. It urged Dominica to consider ratifying the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, and to consider abolishing the death penalty. It expressed concern about the criminalization of consensual same-sex activity and of defamation, and expressed regret that recommendations made during the first cycle regarding the Sexual Offences Act had not enjoyed the support of Dominica. 82. Italy welcomed progress achieved in the promotion of human rights. It noted that Dominica was not a party to some core international treaties and asked whether it envisaged acceding to those instruments. It expressed appreciation for the long-standing moratorium on capital punishment and for the ongoing debate on the death penalty. 12