A/HRC/8/52 page 169 had taken place in the Working Group, with all participants demonstrating a genuine desire to cooperate in order to help all States, from North and South alike, do better in the field of human rights. By not lapsing into outright indictments or preaching, as the former Commission had sometimes done, the Council had given new impetus to the promotion of human rights. 495. Algeria’s commitment to the universal periodic review exercise was reflected in its immediate acceptance of nearly all - 17 out of 20 - of the recommendations that had been formulated: the recommendations that had been accepted fell within the ambit of national efforts to consolidate and protect human rights and promoted the development and welfare of all citizens. 496. As soon as the universal periodic review exercise had been completed, Algeria had stepped up the implementation of its national human rights plan and instituted a professional code for journalists. It had prepared draft legislation criminalizing domestic violence and human trafficking as well as a draft framework law on children which had four main components: health, education, equality and protection. In addition, on 28 and 29 June 2008, Algeria planned to hold a national meeting on family relations that would deal with, inter alia, the topic of violence against children. 497. The Algerian Government had taken the first steps towards ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol, and intended to notify the relevant treaty body of its withdrawal of its reservation to article 9, paragraph 2, of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. That reservation had already become null and void in Algeria. 498. Insofar as visits by mandate holders of the Human Rights Council’s special procedures were concerned, Algeria took the same view towards its obligations vis-à-vis the Council as it did to those under the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Arab Charter on Human Rights. 499. Just as it had agreed to the visit by the Council’s Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Algeria had agreed to visits by the Special Rapporteur of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the rights of women in Africa and the Commission’s Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders in Africa. 500. Algeria was likewise prepared to receive the Council’s Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression at any time. Algeria was currently considering the possibility of extending new invitations to other special procedures mandate holders. 501. With regard to the three recommendations that Algeria had been unable to accept because they were contrary to the Constitution, the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation and the principle of non-discrimination with regard to religious worship, the delegation said it was conceivable that Algeria had not been explicit enough in its report to dispel any possible misunderstandings. However, it remained open to debate and would reply to any questions member States and non-governmental organizations might wish to ask.