A/HRC/38/17 women and domestic violence, while welcoming positive steps that were being taken to tackle those phenomena. 41. Morocco welcomed the ratification by Serbia of the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and on the involvement of children in armed conflict, as well as its acceptance of the amendment to article 20 (1) of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Morocco also welcomed the creation in 2014 of the Council for Monitoring the Implementation of the Recommendations of the United Nations Human Rights Mechanisms. 42. Mozambique praised the efforts of Serbia to implement the previous universal periodic review recommendations and to submit its reports to the treaty bodies. Mozambique noted the continuous efforts being made to include national minorities in society and ensure their access to basic rights. 43. The Netherlands welcomed the comprehensive reform process being undertaken in Serbia, which included ensuring freedom of expression for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons. 44. New Zealand welcomed the delegation of Serbia to the universal periodic review session. 45. Norway stressed that, despite the progress made, more needed to be done to consolidate the rule of law, particularly to strengthen the judiciary. Norway was concerned at the lack of political diversity in the media. It urged Serbia to take further measures to protect against hate crime. 46. The Philippines acknowledged the ratification of the Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Cooperation in respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children, and of the Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Intercountry Adoption. It noted the progress made in terms of improving gender equality and the treatment of marginalized groups. 47. Poland recognized the efforts to comply with the recommendations accepted during the second review cycle and the developments made in combating discrimination, violence against women and corruption. 48. Portugal welcomed the improvements made since the previous review. It commended the progress that had been achieved in the education system, but stressed the need for further developments in that area. 49. The Republic of Korea noted the efforts of the Government to accommodate refugees and unaccompanied children, as well as the reforms to make the institutional and legislative framework more transparent and equitable. 50. The Republic of Moldova welcomed the establishment of the Council for Monitoring the Implementation of the Recommendations of the United Nations Human Rights Mechanisms. It noted that several measures had been taken to ensure gender equality, combat violence against women, and protect the rights of persons with disabilities, children and minorities. 51. Romania applauded the improvements that had been made to the legislative framework regarding the status and participation of persons belonging to national minorities in social and political life, as well as in the implementation of those laws. 52. The Russian Federation appreciated the establishment of the Council for the Implementation of the Recommendations of the United Nations Human Rights Mechanisms and the measures taken to combat discrimination against national minorities, including the national action plan to increase their participation in the work of public institutions and the use of their languages. 53. Sierra Leone acknowledged several measures to ensure gender equality. It encouraged Serbia to adopt a strategy to address domestic violence and to allocate the 6