A/HRC/42/13 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, held its thirty-third session from 6 to 17 May 2019. The review of Equatorial Guinea was held at the 12th meeting, on 13 May 2019. The delegation of Equatorial Guinea was headed by Alfonso Nsue Mokuy, Third Deputy Prime Minister, in Charge of Human Rights. At its 17th meeting, held on 16 May 2019, the Working Group adopted the report on Equatorial Guinea. 2. On 15 January 2019, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Equatorial Guinea: Burkina Faso, Iceland and Ukraine. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to Council resolution 16/21, the following documents were issued for the review of Equatorial Guinea: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/33/GNQ/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/33/GNQ/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/33/GNQ/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Belgium, Germany, Portugal, on behalf of the Group of Friends on national implementation, reporting and follow-up, Slovenia, Spain, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America was transmitted to Equatorial Guinea through the troika. These questions are available on the website of the universal periodic review. I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. The delegation stated that it was pleased to appear before the Human Rights Council. The State’s third national report covered the implementation of the recommendations accepted at the previous evaluation within the framework of the universal period review. The report contained an examination, in a spirit of transparency, of the human rights situation, the implementation of the recommendations accepted and various international commitments, and the challenges encountered during the implementation process. 6. At the third National Economic Conference, it had been decided to give priority to consolidating social equity and eradicating poverty with a view to meeting the objectives of the National Economic and Social Development Plan for Horizon 2020, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want of the African Union. Equatorial Guinea reaffirmed its political will and determination to devote more efforts and capacity to building a national society in which human rights constituted the supreme values of peaceful and democratic coexistence. 7. Regarding follow-up to the universal periodic review, the Intersectoral Technical Committee, composed of members of all departments of the central Administration, the Ombudsman’s Office, the Supreme Court of Justice, Parliament and the Centre for Human Rights, had been set up in June 2018, and had been responsible for drafting the national report. 8. All relevant departments of the Administration were being trained, with the technical assistance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to gather 2