A/HRC/10/29 667. At the 31st meeting, on 20 March 2009, the Council considered and adopted the outcome of the review on Uzbekistan (see section C below). 668. The outcome of the review on Uzbekistan comprised the report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (A/HRC/10/77), the views of Uzbekistan concerning the recommendations and/or conclusions, and its voluntary commitments and replies presented before the adoption of the outcome by the plenary to questions or issues that were not sufficiently addressed during the interactive dialogue in the Working Group (see also A/HRC/10/77/Add.1). (a) Views expressed by the State under review on the recommendations and/or conclusions as well as on its voluntary commitments and on the outcome 669. Uzbekistan was grateful to the members of the Council and the States Members of the United Nations for their attention to the situation of human rights in Uzbekistan, as reflected in their recommendations and comments. Uzbekistan gave an overview of the steps and obligations it had undertaken during the short period since the third session of the Working Group in December 2008. The review of Uzbekistan coincided with the end of the sixtieth anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was marked by the implementation of a thorough programme of measures taken by presidential decree in Uzbekistan. In 2008, Uzbekistan had ratified eight very important international human rights documents. In February 2009, the Government had signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 670. In 2008, Uzbekistan implemented a wide-ranging educational and awareness-raising campaign to monitor the implementation of the most important human rights laws in conformity with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Uzbekistan took the opportunity to dwell on three of the most recent trends in State policy with respect to human rights. 671. First, with regard to the global financial crisis and human rights, the Government had launched a policy to avoid any reduction in people’s living standards, by protecting them from the negative consequences of the financial crisis and by ensuring that normal life proceeded as a foundation for their human rights. Uzbekistan stated that the budget allocation in the social sphere had amounted to more than 50 per cent, the majority of which was given to education. Uzbekistan had also a continuing tradition of adopting integrated State programmes intended to resolve specific problems relating to socioeconomic development as the basis of the whole set of human rights enshrined in the fundamental United Nations documents. Uzbekistan recalled that 2008 was declared the Year of Youth, and that specific measures had been taken to improve education, health, housing and credits for young people and young families, while 2009 had been declared the year of development and improvement of the countryside. Uzbekistan intended to bring a qualitative improvement to the living conditions and well-being of the rural population, since almost half of Uzbek people live in rural areas, and paying attention to life in rural areas was in line with the Millennium Development Goals. 672. Second, Uzbekistan pointed out that education was a priority in State policy and it had been successfully implementing systemic education reforms at all levels. The whole education system was interrelated to the national programme to enhance a culture of legal awareness among the masses with regard to newly adopted legislation, and was also laying the foundations for human rights education programmes. With technical assistance from various United Nations agencies, Uzbekistan was continuing the publication of international human rights documents. At the beginning of February 2009, an Uzbek language publication was issued with the help of UNICEF of the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Uzbekistan ratified in December 2008. GE.09-17451 197