A/HRC/38/12 22. The Ministry of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Community Development had been collaborating with the Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel to provide legislation that addressed those issues relating to older persons that fell under the aegis of the National Assistance Board, which had primary responsibility for protecting and promoting the rights of older persons. 23. The Committee to Monitor the Implementation of the National Policy on Ageing had been established. The Committee was considering the issues of elder abuse and the introduction of an elder abuse protocol, as recommended in the Policy. 24. The Government, having received the comments and recommendations of the Committee, was committed to revamping the National Assistance Board to create a new institution that would become the focal point for the legislative affairs of older persons. It was also expected that, as a result of the National Policy on Ageing, there would be legislation dealing with elder abuse and support for caregivers as an incentive to keep their elderly relatives at home and within the community as long as possible. 25. The Government had continued its efforts to improve the professionalism of the Royal Barbados Police Force. In doing so, it had enhanced citizen security and broadened the focus of the Police Force from crime control to the pursuit of the goals identified through consultation with key stakeholders. 26. With regard to professionalization, polygraph testing had been introduced for all police officers at entry level and the Police Force had also started phasing in video recording of police interviews. The Evidence (Amendment) Act came into operation with effect from 15 December 2017 to make provision for sound recordings, video identification and other related matters. 27. Elements of accountability within the Police Force included the Police Disciplinary Code, as enshrined in the laws of Barbados, and the use of a disciplinary mechanism that included the Office of Professional Responsibility, the Police Complaints Authority and the Office of the Ombudsman. Members of the Police Force also continued to receive human rights training, which was routinely conducted by a range of qualified professionals. 28. The Government was in the process of furthering draft labour legislation. For example, the Employment (Prevention of Discrimination) Bill, which dealt specifically with the right to work and to just and favourable conditions of work. The Bill sought to protect persons from discrimination related to employment on the basis of race, origin, political opinion, colour, creed, sex, social status, marital or domestic partnership status, pregnancy, maternity, family responsibility, medical condition, disability and age. 29. The Government had enacted the Employment Sexual Harassment (Prevention) Act, 2017. The legislation provided for the protection of employees, in both the public and private sectors, from sexual harassment at their workplaces. It also provided a framework for the reporting of sexual harassment cases by employees and a method of resolving such cases, and established a procedure for the hearing and determination of matters related to sexual harassment. 30. There was no political mandate to legalize same-sex relationships. Similarly, there was no national consensus on the issue of repealing the country’s laws on buggery. 31. Same-sex relations were not criminalized in legislation, what was criminalized was buggery, and there was no intervention by the law between consenting adults. However, in a case in which a minor was involved, or in the case of non-consenting adults, prosecution was possible against the offender. 32. Barbados stated that the Cabinet had given its approval to ratify the United Nations Convention against Corruption and to accede to the Inter-American Convention against Corruption. 33. Barbados had also ratified the Arms Trade Treaty and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols. In addition, it had replaced the Transnational Organized Crime (Prevention and Control) Act, 2013, with the Trafficking in Persons Prevention Act, 2016, in order to prevent and deter human trafficking in several areas. 4