A/HRC/16/9 combat discrimination and asked Bulgaria what other measures it had envisaged in pursuit of that goal. Slovakia made recommendations. 43. Sweden asked Bulgaria to elaborate on efforts to ensure that detention conditions fully met international human rights standards and about further plans to address the situation in prisons. Sweden referred to the concerns of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, including with regard to the selective transfer of Roma children to special schools for children with developmental disabilities; the use of excessive force by law enforcement officials against the Roma; and poor knowledge and inadequate application by the judiciary bodies of standards for protection against racial discrimination. Sweden made recommendations. 44. Norway commended the inclusion of agreed international norms and principles in Bulgarian legislation. Norway stated that the political will for democratic reforms to ensure the proper functioning of the judicial system and to fight corruption and organized crime must produce real results, and indicated that it remained firmly committed to continuing to assist Bulgaria in the implementation of European standards. Norway made recommendations. 45. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, while welcoming the adoption of the Legal Aid Act, noted areas in which the administration of justice could be improved. It welcomed Government efforts to promote the integration of Roma; however, it expressed concern about the situation of Roma children and their access to services. Given reports of a high prevalence of domestic violence, the United Kingdom asked about the allocation of State resources to victim protection services and efforts to prevent domestic violence. It made recommendations. 46. Turkey commended Bulgaria for its achievements in the area of human rights protection. Turkey referred to the period 1984-1989, also known as the Revival Process, during which an assimilation campaign had been carried out against the Turkish minority, noting that complaints of victims had not yet been addressed. Turkey also stated that the Turkish minority continued to face impediments in exercising its religious freedoms and asked whether Bulgaria intended to amend the law on Religious Denominations. Turkey made recommendations. 47. Italy praised Bulgaria’s commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights and took due note of its policies and strategies in favour of Roma people. As regards the concern expressed by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination regarding cases of ill treatment and excessive use of force by the police against persons belonging to minority groups, Italy encouraged Bulgaria to continue to take measures to combat any such abuse. Italy made a recommendation. 48. The Republic of Moldova regarded as an important step the raising of the status of the Ombudsman to the constitutional level. It congratulated Bulgaria on having undertaken comprehensive initiatives and expressed the view that Roma communities should be duly empowered to share responsibility for the successful implementation of such initiatives. The Republic of Moldova welcomed developments in the fight against trafficking and asked Bulgaria to elaborate on the national framework in the field of gender equality and domestic violence and how it envisaged implementing the universal periodic review recommendations. It made a recommendation. 49. China expressed appreciation for the fact that Bulgaria had formulated the national strategy on promotion of gender equality 2009-2015 and that women participated in elections on a much larger scale. China also stated that Bulgaria had achieved remarkable results in promoting and protecting the rights of children, the disabled and ethnic minorities, among others. China asked what specific measures Bulgaria had taken and what challenges it still faced in addressing the ageing of the population. China made a recommendation. 9