A/HRC/11/37 legislation and institutions to promote and protect human rights. Saudi Arabia commended Azerbaijan for its efforts and encouraged it to continue in this direction. 583. Egypt commended Azerbaijan for its progress in economic and social development, particularly on the eradication of poverty. It highlighted Azerbaijan’s special attention to achieving gender equality through its national human rights infrastructure. Egypt welcomed Azerbaijan’s commitment to cooperation with human rights bodies and mechanisms, including the Working Group. It expressed its confidence that Azerbaijan would make all efforts to implement its national plans and strategies in all areas of human rights in cooperation with human rights bodies and mechanisms. Egypt also believed in Azerbaijan’s commitment to implement the recommendations that it had accepted in line with its national priorities. 584. China noted the importance that Azerbaijan attached to the universal periodic review and the action taken to follow up on recommendations. It cited Azerbaijan’s constitutional reform as a major step in improving its rule of law. It also noted the new laws on the rights of the child and protection of migrants, with a simplified definition of the term “migrant”, which would contribute to the protection of their rights. It cited measures to combat violence against women and children and the implementation of a national programme of action on human rights. It expressed its confidence that, with these efforts, Azerbaijan would overcome the impact of the financial crisis and continue to promote and protect human rights by seriously implementing the programme of action and the review recommendations. 585. Bahrain expressed its appreciation for the positive steps taken by Azerbaijan towards the implementation of a number of recommendations. It commended Azerbaijan for its efforts to promote equal rights between men and women and to develop policies and plans to ensure that education met the needs of society. It noted the programmes, projects and workshops to train judges and strengthen judicial reform, as well as the efforts made with regard to the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons and to ensuring their political participation and enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights. 3. General comments made by other relevant stakeholders 586. The Commission for Human Rights of Azerbaijan (Ombudsman) stated that the Ombudsman had conducted wide-scale work related to the universal periodic review, including organizing a training session with the participation of international experts, representatives of State bodies and civil society. On recommendation 1, it noted that a presidential decree had designated the Ombudsman in January 2009 as the national preventive mechanism envisaged by the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture. Regarding recommendations 6, 8, 9 and 10, it stated that several legislative acts and State programmes had been adopted on women’s rights, gender equality and the fight against violence. It said that these issues had always been the focus of attention of the Ombudsman’s activities. The Ombudsman considered it necessary to establish crisis centres for women and children exposed to violence, for children deprived of parental care and, ultimately, to adopt a law on domestic violence. On recommendation 19, the Ombudsman made proposals for interreligious and intercultural dialogue and noted that Azerbaijan, as a multi-religious State, supported freedom of religion through the principles of unity and diversity. The Ombudsman committed to collaborating, as a national human rights institution, with the State in implementing the review recommendations. 587. Human Rights Watch was pleased to note that Azerbaijan had extended a standing invitation to all special procedures. It said the review process had brought a spotlight on a number of core areas of concern that it had raised with the Government, including harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders, violation of freedom of assembly, politically motivated arrests and prosecutions, and torture and ill-treatment in police 146 GE.09-16766