A/HRC/15/7 85. Zimbabwe commended Lesotho for its national report, which was the product of inclusive stakeholder consultations. It noted that Lesotho was committed to human rights and saluted its achievements. As a member of the region, it recognized Lesotho’s challenges, noting that they were not insurmountable. It made recommendations. 86. Botswana commended Lesotho for its measures to guarantee Basotho the full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular through National Vision 2020, the Justice Sector Vision and Strategy, and the National Youth Policy. It highlighted Lesotho’s strides in promoting women’s rights. It welcomed the fact that Lesotho was candid regarding its challenges, such as the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the effects of the economic and financial crisis, which threatened, inter alia, to undermine its social safety net mechanisms. It made recommendations. 87. South Africa noted the challenges faced by Lesotho as a least developed country, which had been compounded by the recent crises. It welcomed the assistance provided by Norway and Japan facilitating access to education and essential services for persons with disabilities. It commended progress in the elimination of discrimination against women, legislation protecting child rights and other vulnerable groups, access to justice, the rehabilitation of offenders and the improvement of prison conditions. It asked about challenges and lessons learned as a result of HIV/AIDS programmes. It noted Lesotho’s reservation concerning article 2 of CEDAW. It encouraged stakeholders to continue their capacity-building and their technical cooperation with Lesotho. It made recommendations. 88. Ghana commended the relatively high rate of literacy, the implementation of bursary schemes for orphaned children, and the introduction, on a pilot basis, of human rights education in 10 schools. It welcomed the 58 per cent representation of women in the 2005 local government elections. It highlighted development challenges including widespread poverty, extremely high unemployment, severe food insecurity and the HIV and AIDS pandemic. It hoped that the Government’s request for technical assistance and capacitybuilding would receive the sympathetic consideration of the international community. It welcomed the ongoing efforts by the Government to establish a national human rights commission. Ghana made recommendations. 89. Latvia noted that Lesotho had ratified most international human rights treaties and had recently acceded to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It appreciated the response given regarding the issue of standing invitations to the special procedures. Latvia made a recommendation. 90. Kuwait welcomed the methodology used in preparing the national report, which was based on transparency and objectivity and was a participatory report that had involved all relevant bodies. It welcomed the measures taken by Lesotho to strengthen its cooperation, which had already been close with international bodies. It noted the report and the efforts that had been made in extremely difficult circumstances to promote human rights despite the global economic crisis. Indeed, the socio-economic situation in Lesotho had been faced despite very serious development challenges, including, inter alia, an increasing level of poverty, food insecurity and unemployment, as well as the AIDS pandemic. Kuwait made a recommendation. 91. Tunisia noted that Lesotho had ratified a number of international human rights instruments. Moreover, it stressed that positive law accorded a primary role to human rights and was enshrined within Lesotho’s Constitution. It stated that Lesotho had set up a structured institutional arsenal to defend human rights as its first task. Tunisia praised Lesotho’s efforts to promote the rights of women by, inter alia, allocating 30 per cent of the seats in local councils to women. Tunisia made a recommendation. 92. Cameroon welcomed the fact that a number of institutions guaranteed the defence of rights, including a mediator office and a national directorate against corruption and other 13