A/HRC/44/11 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, held its thirty-fifth session from 20 to 31 January 2020. The review of Guinea-Bissau was held at the 8th meeting, on 24 January 2020. The delegation of Guinea-Bissau was headed by Ruth Monteiro, the Minister of Justice and Human Rights. At its 13th meeting, held on 28 January 2020, the Working Group adopted the report on Guinea-Bissau. 2. On 14 January 2020, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Guinea-Bissau: Germany, Senegal and Uruguay. 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 Guinea-Bissau: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/35/GNB/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.6/35/GNB/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/35/GNB/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Belgium, Germany, Liechtenstein, Portugal, on behalf of the Group of Friends on national mechanisms for 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 Guinea-Bissau 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 Minister of Justice and Human Rights introduced the national report of GuineaBissau to the Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review. 6. The delegation noted that data from the Human Development Index for 2018 ranked Guinea-Bissau at 178 out of the 189 countries and territories examined in the report, placing it in the low human development group. 7. However, according to the same report, between 1990 and 2018, life expectancy at birth had increased by 10.9 years. The average years of schooling had increased by 1 year and the expected years of schooling had increased by 6.8 years. According to the latest data available, which referred to 2014, in Guinea-Bissau, 67.3 per cent of the population was in a situation of multidimensional poverty, while another 19.2 per cent was considered as vulnerable to multidimensional poverty. 8. Recognition of the many challenges faced by the country was an important and indispensable step to overcoming them. Guinea-Bissau was aware of the causes of the barriers to the development of policies, plans and programmes for a sustained intervention that would enable the implementation of the changes necessary for the improvement of the living conditions of the population as well as the full enjoyment of their human rights. 9. One of the causes was the political instability that had been affecting the country since the establishment of a multiparty system in 1994. That instability had continued to affect the country since the previous review took place in 2015, leading to difficulties in the 2