A/HRC/43/2 856. Libya thanked Egypt for its active participation in the universal periodic review process and its commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights. It welcomed the continuation and commitment of Egypt to a positive cooperation with the mechanisms of the Human Rights Council, in particular the endeavour to establish a high-ranking committee whose primary task is to develop a national strategy for human rights. Libya wished Egypt success in its efforts to promote human rights. 857. Malawi acknowledged the commitment of Egypt for having substantially implemented recommendations during the second cycle and commended the strides made in the promotion and protection of human rights. Malawi welcomed the implementation by the Government of substantive recommendations of the Special Rapporteur, through deliberate efforts to provide adequate housing, safe and clean drinking water, sanitation and decent living for all. It commended the positive cooperation of Egypt with the mechanisms of the Human Rights Council and for issuing a midterm report in 2018, and the submission of periodic reports to the Human Rights Committee, the Committee against Torture, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 858. Mauritania appreciated the adoption by Egypt of the Sustainable Development Strategy 2030, as it has responded to the aspirations of its people, by providing a decent life for all citizens without discrimination and with national participation, whether from civil society or the private sector, as was the participation of its partners in the development sector. Egypt has worked to empower women and grant them equality in terms of rights, freedoms and public duties by consolidating the values of equality and equal opportunities in civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. 4. General comments made by other stakeholders 859. During the adoption of the outcome of the review of Egypt, 10 other stakeholders made statements.** 860. Lawyers for Lawyers, in a joint statement with the International Bar Association welcomed the acceptance by Egypt of some recommendations on the protection of human rights defenders and lawyers. It stated that lawyers and human rights defenders were being disappeared, arrested and prosecuted, harassed and threatened, and their work criminalised through the application of the Penal Code, Counter-terrorism Law, NGOs Law, and other laws. It urged the Human Right Council to insist on the immediate release of all lawyers and human rights defenders prosecuted for doing their work; to monitor the application - and call for the amendment - of all those laws and other laws that violate the rights to freedom of expression, association, and assembly. It called for the repeal of the constitutional provisions interfering with judicial and prosecutorial independence. 861. The East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, in a joint statement with the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies stated that, under the ‘foreign funding case,’ Egyptian civil society organizations and human rights defenders remained under multiple restrictions, including travel bans and asset freezes. It called for an immediate end of reprisals, noting that a court ruling on travel bans, expected in April 2020, would be crucial to bring justice. It reported an escalation of arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances of a number of human rights defenders. It noted that many countries called on Egypt to investigate allegations of torture and ill-treatment. It noted that the attacks by Egypt against human rights norms extended to activities organized by the African Commission on Human ** The statements of stakeholders that were unable to deliver them owing to time constraints which were made available are posted on the extranet of the Human Rights Council, at https://extranet.ohchr.org/sites/hrc/HRCSessions/RegularSessions/43session/Pages/default.aspx 132