A/HRC/20/25 Zambia, and urged the State to adopt anti-corruption legislation. The Special Rapporteur received information of some positive developments in this regard, including the adoption of the Public Interest Disclosure (Whistle-blowers Protection) Act of 2010. The new Government has indicated it will review all corruption-related policy and legislation, and has recently submitted a new anti-corruption bill to Parliament. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the stated commitment of the Government to fighting corruption, but stresses the need to match the rhetoric with action, through the adoption and implementation of robust anti-corruption legislation in line with the United Nations Convention against Corruption, as well as strengthening the Anti-Corruption Commission and its independence. IV. Bangladesh 61. From 3 to 10 December 2009, the Special Rapporteur undertook a mission to Bangladesh, in collaboration with the Independent Expert on the issue of human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation (see A/HRC/15/55). Updated statistics reveal a significant reduction in poverty from 2005, when the incidence of poverty at the national level was estimated at 40 per cent, to 31.5 per cent in 2010. 62. Nevertheless, Bangladesh remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Advancements in poverty alleviation have not been sufficiently drastic or widespread, and have excluded, in particular, the rural population, more than 35 per cent of whom live in poverty.26 As a result, Bangladesh is unlikely to fully meet a number of the Millennium Development Goal targets, specifically those related to rural poverty, primary education completion rates, and maternal health.27 63. In her mission report, the Special Rapporteur made numerous recommendations with implications for the poverty reduction and development agenda in Bangladesh, with particular emphasis on social protection. She regrets that she did not receive a response from the Government to her questionnaire; this has greatly hampered her ability to assess the situation two years after her mission. The Special Rapporteur presents her analysis on the basis of materials produced by United Nations and donor agencies, international financial institutions and civil society. A. Legal and institutional framework 64. The Special Rapporteur reiterates her recommendations that Bangladesh ratify the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and submit its initial report to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. She welcomes the Government’s indication in February 2011 that it intends to consider withdrawing its reservations to articles 2 and 16 1 (c) of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW/C/BGD/CO/7, para. 11). 65. No progress has been made with respect to the Special Rapporteur’s recommendation that Bangladesh appoint an Ombudsman in accordance with the Constitution. However, the Special Rapporteur is pleased to note the enactment of the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2010, an important step towards addressing the persistent problem of violence against women, which contributes to 26 27 Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, ―Preliminary report on household income and expenditure survey— 2010‖, seventh page. Jodie Keane and others, ―Bangladesh: case study for the MDG Gap Task Force report‖ (Overseas Development Institute and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2010), p. 3. 13