A/HRC/8/52 page 117 254. Cuba commended Tunisia on the efforts and progress made in the field of human rights, including on the tangible results obtained in the promotion and protection of fundamental rights, notably in the areas of education and health. It recognized the progress made toward achieving equality between men and women, eliminating all forms of discrimination against women and protecting vulnerable groups, in particular the rights of children. It noted that the experience and results of Tunisia in the area of the eradication of poverty based in particular on the implementation of the national programme to help families in need is very useful, and noted that this initiative should be an example for other countries. It noted that Tunisia is a country of peace and solidarity and that its move toward economic and social development and its achievements in these areas are impressive despite the difficult international context. It noted that the review gave an opportunity to appreciate the genuine political will of Tunisia and its clear commitment to human rights. 3. General comments made by other relevant stakeholders 255. The International Federation of Human Rights Leagues, Amnesty International and the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, in a joint statement, welcomed Tunisia’s commitment to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the invitation to the Special Rapporteur on human rights and terrorism but regretted that the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture has not yet been invited. They also regretted that the recommendations of the universal periodic review do not take sufficiently into account the need to better protect freedom of association and expression, notably of human rights organizations. They would have preferred that the authorities would have made commitments regarding recommendations made by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders and, recently, by the Human Rights Committee. The International Federation of Human Rights Leagues and Amnesty International also urged the Government to implement as quickly as possible the recommendations made during the review and those of the treaty bodies. 256. The Organisation de la Mère Maghrebine (also on behalf of Femmes Africa Solidarité and Association Tunisienne des Mères) focused its statement on equality and the promotion and protection of women’s rights, referring to Millennium Development Goal 3, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. In Tunisia, the achievements in the area of women’s rights have become a social reality and a constitutional value. It considered that equality is linked to women’s fight for further improving the right to employment, the status within the family and also to participating in the process of sustainable human development. Thus, equality must be accompanied by an in-depth discussion involving the entire international community with a view to defining a plan of action to eradicate all forms of discrimination as proposed by the Millennium Summit which has set 2015 as the deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. 257. The World Organization against Torture (also on behalf of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists) stated that Tunisia is capable of making progress, particularly legislative progress in the areas of the rights of the child and the status of women. It regretted that there are serious gaps in Tunisian law, especially in the way in which it is applied. It would have liked to see a number of