A/HRC/16/17 prevalence of child labour. It called on Mauritania to ensure access for detainees to independent and effective legal remedies. It made recommendations. 58. Turkey praised the initiation of procedures to withdraw the general reservation to CEDAW. Noting the efforts of Mauritania to organize the voluntary and dignified return of Mauritanian refugees, it stated that accelerating the process of issuing identity cards would benefit the process. It also positively noted Mauritania’s various efforts to improve the situation of children. It made recommendations. 59. Spain noted the commitment of Mauritania to human rights since 2005 and encouraged further efforts for consolidation to strengthen democracy and the rule of law. It made recommendations. 60. Norway welcomed the establishment of a national commission to combat genderbased violence. It expressed concern about the human rights situation of children. Norway noted the adoption of a national strategy and plan of action in 2007 against the practice of female genital mutilation. Norway appreciated the efforts made to combat slavery, including the adoption of a law criminalizing it and the establishment of a national programme to eradicate it. Norway emphasized the importance of civil society participation as essential to a meaningful universal periodic review process. Norway made recommendations. 61. Germany commended Mauritania on the agreement it had signed with OHCHR authorizing the establishment of a country office in Mauritania. In the light of the overall female genital mutilation rate in Mauritania, which had remained at approximately 72 per cent for the past few years, it inquired about steps that the Government was taking to persuade its citizens to abandon the practice. It also asked for information about a national strategy focusing on combating slavery and alleviating its impacts. It made recommendations. 62. Côte d’Ivoire congratulated Mauritania on its efforts in ending the crisis that had affected its stability, and noted the recent initiatives taken to follow up on the recommendations of several Special Rapporteurs. It made recommendations. 63. Azerbaijan noted that desertification and drought constituted a serious threat to economic and social development and that extreme poverty remained a major problem, affecting almost half the population. It welcomed structural reforms to improve access for children to education. Azerbaijan welcomed the steps taken to improve the status of women and to promote their participation in politics. Azerbaijan expressed appreciation for increased cooperation with the mechanisms of the Human Rights Council. Azerbaijan made recommendations. 64. Argentina paid tribute to the achievements of Mauritania with regard to the mainstreaming of childhood issues into its poverty reduction strategies and best practices in the areas of cooperation, defence of children’s rights and community dialogue. It inquired about the incorporation of norms aimed at preventing racial and ethnic discrimination into Mauritania’s domestic laws and about measures adopted to put an end to the practice of corporal punishment. It made recommendations. 65. Slovenia commended Mauritania for the progress made in aligning its national legislation with international human rights standards. It made recommendations. 66. The Holy See noted the adoption of compulsory education and the implementation of the 2003–2010 national strategy for education, as well as the highest primary school enrolment rate in Africa. It also noted the law permitting the National Human Rights Commission to carry out unannounced visits to detention facilities to monitor the living conditions of prisoners. It noted the significant steps taken to combat slavery. It made recommendations. 10