A/HRC/42/13 62. Botswana expressed appreciation for the incorporation of persons with disabilities into the social security mechanism and the creation of a special service for persons with disabilities in the National Social Security Institute. It further welcomed strategies aimed at eradicating gender-based disparities. 63. Brazil congratulated Equatorial Guinea for its efforts to ensure the rights to adequate housing, health and education of its population. Brazil urged the country to take measures to combat HIV/AIDS and to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture. 64. Burkina Faso welcomed efforts to implement recommendations received during the previous cycle which had led to establishing a legislative and institutional framework to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights in the field. 65. The delegation of Equatorial Guinea thanked countries that had made helpful suggestions and recommendations and highlighted that the State’s objective was to improve its laws and institutions. 66. Regarding the death penalty, the Government had decided to abolish the death penalty and had prepared a decree, which had been put before Parliament for approval. The abolition of the death penalty had therefore practically been achieved. 67. There had been great progress in the field of education. Very few pupils now dropped out of school and training was provided for teachers at all levels. Nevertheless, one of the Government’s goals was to resolve remaining issues leading to school dropouts. A university campus in Malabo had been completed and construction of other campuses had nearly been finalized. 68. At the third National Economic Conference, it had been decided to undertake a sweeping review of all the laws of Equatorial Guinea to ensure that they met the needs of the country and the requirements of the international community. Equatorial Guinea was committed to protecting all of the fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution. 69. The State was present on all fronts and was striving to improve living conditions, including by ensuring water, housing, electricity, health, education and sanitation for all persons in the country. Equatorial Guinea was developing an action plan to combat poverty and would strive to improve social protections. 70. Approximately 80 per cent of the country’s economy was dependent on fossil fuels. As decided during the third National Economic Conference, the country was looking to diversify its economy through the development of agriculture, tourism and fishery. The National Economic and Social Development Plan for Horizon 2020 included a political commitment to improve infrastructure. Though the country had already achieved a great deal in terms of development of its infrastructure and other capacities, it had not yet reached the desired level for an emerging economy, which was why the Government would extend the Horizon plan to 2035. 71. Measures were being taken to improve prisons. The separation of men and women prisoners was ensured in the country’s prisons. 72. Equatorial Guinea would review the criteria relating to human rights defenders. A human rights defender should not, at the same time, act as a political leader, and there should be no confusion between the two fields. In situations where human rights defenders took on the role of political actors and attacked institutions, the security forces could come into conflict with them. 73. No journalist was persecuted or was in detention in Equatorial Guinea. However, as already indicated, the country would improve the press law and broaden it to bring it into line with current standards. Moreover, civil society laws would be enacted to enhance the cooperation between civil society and the State. 74. A number of human rights institutions existed in Equatorial Guinea, and the Government would try to ensure that its national human rights commission complied with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles). The only existing challenge was that according to the 7