A/HRC/32/8
122. Slovakia welcomed initiatives to strengthen legal protection of women and children,
and applauded efforts to increase accommodation facilities for asylum seekers and
migrants. It noted the challenge of prison overcrowding in Belgium.
123. Slovenia commended ratification by Belgium of optional protocols to the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the
Rights of the Child, and welcomed improvements on human rights training and education,
and on establishing a national human rights institution.
124. South Africa positively noted the 2013 Anti-Discrimination Law in Belgium, which
increased penalties for certain offences in the case of aggravated circumstances based on
discriminatory motives, and the National Roma Integration Strategy.
125. Spain congratulated Belgium for its compromise on abolishing the death penalty and
fighting transphobia. It commended its coherence in combating violence against women
and girls.
126. Sri Lanka noted the national action plan to fight human trafficking and the extension
of rules of guardianship to cover unaccompanied minors in situations of vulnerability.
127. The State of Palestine took positive note of the measures in favour of the rights of
persons with disabilities, as well as in the area of business and human rights.
128. Brazil welcomed the development of action plans against homophobia and
transphobia, and the incorporation of additional legal protection for transgender people in
domestic legislation.
129. Switzerland noted with satisfaction that significant measures had been taken to
implement recommendations that were accepted at the first review.
130. Tajikistan noted efforts to implement international human rights obligations and to
improve legislation through ratifying international human rights instruments.
131. Thailand commended the role of courts in Belgium in upholding human rights law.
It welcomed the establishment of several human rights institutions, among others the Centre
for Equal Opportunities and Action against Racism.
132. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia expressed its concern about cases and
forms of hate speech, discrimination and xenophobia.
133. During its final intervention, Belgium reported that the Act on Euthanasia permitted
the practice on three conditions: the patient must be deemed capable and conscious at the
time of his or her request; the request must be voluntary, duly pondered and repeated, and
must not result from external pressure; and the patient must be in a hopeless medical
condition and must be experiencing constant and unbearable physical or psychological
suffering. No doctor was obliged to administer euthanasia. Moreover, a Federal
Commission monitored and evaluated compliance with this legislation.
134. On the subject of the detention of unaccompanied foreign minors, the law provided
that they could no longer be held in detention. When a person was identified as an
unaccompanied foreign minor, he or she was transferred to an observation and orientation
centre within 24 hours of notification of the determination of his or her age. Accompanied
foreign minors stayed in private residences and accommodation facilities when they failed
to meet the conditions of entry and residence, or once their stay had ceased to be regular or
was illegal.
135. Responding to the questions concerning the fight against poverty, the delegation said
that Belgium had begun work on the third federal anti-poverty plan in 2015, which included
specific measures in terms of income, employment, health, housing, access to energy and
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