A/HRC/38/12 88. Guyana congratulated Barbados on the establishment of the National Human Rights Coordinating Committee and looked forward to learning about the experience of establishing a national human rights institution. The draft gender policy currently under review and the creation of the Family Conflict Intervention Unit should be lauded as concrete initiatives in further addressing gender equality and especially the challenge of domestic violence and violence against women and children. 89. Haiti noted the progress and participation of Barbados in a regional project to improve access to justice, especially for women, and its efforts to adopt a draft law on juvenile justice and create a family court. 90. Honduras recognized and congratulated Barbados for the actions and measures taken to implement the recommendations received in the previous cycle. Honduras commended the commitment of Barbados to the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Honduras was convinced of the opportunity offered by this new framework for the realization of all human rights and welcomed the establishment of a new mechanism for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. 91. Iceland welcomed the progress Barbados had made in the promotion of human rights, including the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 92. India commended the improving social welfare system of Barbados, particularly for older persons, children and the unemployed, the facilitation measures taken by the National Disabilities Unit for the disabled to access education and transportation, and the provision of decent, safe and affordable housing to all. It appreciated the implementation of the Employment Rights Act, 2012, the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the launching of the National Youth Parliament and the establishment of a national human rights institution. 93. The head of the delegation of Barbados thanked those who had shown appreciation of the country’s efforts, those who were able to identify with the resource challenges that the country faced, and those members who contributed to the Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund to Support the Participation of Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States in the Work of the Human Rights Council. 94. The process of concluding the universal periodic review involved interaction with various organizations, stakeholders and NGOs. It forced Barbados to look at how the country was progressing in several areas and served to highlight those in which assistance was needed. It was a very useful exercise in that regard. 95. The head of the delegation concluded by restating the country’s firm commitment to the observance and furtherance of human rights. Barbados would continue to implement its human rights obligations and, therefore, anticipated ongoing dialogue and, where appropriate, technical and other cooperation, to further that work. II. Conclusions and/or recommendations 96. The following recommendations will be examined by Barbados, which will provide responses in due time, but no later than the thirty-eighth session of the Human Rights Council: 96.1 Take steps towards the full abolition of the death penalty, including ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (New Zealand); 96.2 Ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty (Ukraine); 96.3 Ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, and take the necessary measures to repeal the death penalty in its legislation (Argentina); 96.4 Ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty (Belgium); 10