A/HRC/11/37 Nigeria 342. The review of Nigeria was held on 9 February 2009 in conformity with all the relevant provisions contained in Council resolution 5/1, and was based on the following documents: (a) The national report submitted by Nigeria in accordance with the annex to Council resolution 5/1, paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/4/NGA/1); (b) The compilation prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/4/NGA/2); (c) The summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/4/NGA/3). 343. At its 18th meeting, on 11 June 2009, the Council considered and adopted the outcome of the review on Nigeria (see sect. C below). 344. The outcome of the review on Nigeria comprises the report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (A/HRC/11/26), the views of Nigeria 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. 1. Views expressed by the State under review on the recommendations and/or conclusions as well as on its voluntary commitments and the outcome 345. The head of delegation recalled that Nigeria had engaged in the universal periodic review process with the utmost openness and transparency and had benefited immensely from all views expressed on that occasion. Nigeria stated that the 32 clusters of recommendations made by the Working Group had been carefully considered with the active collaboration of relevant stakeholders. In February 2009, Nigeria had already accepted 30 of the 32 clusters of recommendations and had taken note of recommendations 12 and 13. The implementation of some recommendations was already ongoing before they were made and new legislation was ongoing. Although Nigeria was determined to work assiduously towards the implementation of the recommendations, the delegation stated that constitutional and legal implications had prevented Nigeria from giving immediate effect to some of them. 346. A substantial number of recommendations were, however, being implemented, such as the one on accession to human rights instruments, as demonstrated by the signature in January 2009 of a series of international instruments by the President of Nigeria and the recent ratification through a bill passed by the National Assembly on the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 347. Nigeria recalled that its Constitution protected minority rights, in addition to the comprehensive application of the constitutional federal character principle following the establishment of the federal character commission regarding the distribution of national resources and political appointments among the six geopolitical zones. The delegation stated that Nigeria was proud of its great ethnic, religious and cultural diversity. All Nigerian languages were spoken in Government-owned broadcast stations, and private and public initiatives promoted cultural and linguistic rights without any constraints. 348. Nigeria also continuously addressed the specific challenges of certain areas of the country with greater determination, such as in the Delta Region, with several actions such as the establishment of the Ministry for Niger Delta in 2009. Recently, Nigeria had offered amnesty to all involved in agitational activities in the Niger Delta in the logic of peace and in furtherance of dialogue. GE.09-16766 111