A/HRC/44/5 18. Morocco noted with satisfaction the ongoing process undertaken by Guinea to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and highlighted progress achieved in birth registration and in improving conditions of detention. 19. Mozambique welcomed the comprehensive report submitted by Guinea and praised Guinea for having ratified most of the international human rights instruments and for having adopted a plethora of national acts and programmes to improve human rights. 20. Namibia thanked Guinea for its comprehensive report and for its commitment to the universal periodic review. Namibia was extremely pleased to note that the death penalty had not been applied in Guinea since 2003. 21. Nepal commended the adoption of a national gender policy for empowering women in various spheres, a programme for increasing the participation of women and young persons in the civil service, and the adoption of an initiative to combat domestic violence. 22. While commending Guinea for its cooperation with the International Criminal Court regarding the crimes committed on 28 September 2009 and their aftermath, the Netherlands remained concerned about the excessive use of force during peaceful demonstrations. It urged Guinea to respect civic space in the run-up to the 2020 presidential elections. 23. The Niger welcomed the progress made by Guinea through the implementation of several recommendations made during the second universal periodic review cycle, in particular one made by the Niger to reinforce cooperation with human rights mechanisms. 24. Nigeria took note of the commendable efforts made by Guinea to strengthen its human rights legal and institutional frameworks. It also commended Guinea for taking steps towards poverty reduction and job creation. 25. Oman congratulated Guinea for its national report, which provided evidence of its commitment to human rights, and made several recommendations. 26. The Philippines recognized the commitment made by Guinea to strengthen its national human rights institution by ensuring the allocation of sufficient resources, and expressed appreciation for the adoption of policy measures to strengthen the rights of women, children and other vulnerable groups. 27. Portugal welcomed the fact that there was no mention of the death penalty in the Criminal Code and the Code of Military Justice. 28. Rwanda welcomed the positive steps taken by Guinea to implement recommendations from the previous universal periodic review cycle. It also called on Guinea to promptly adopt a revised children’s code. 29. Senegal referred to the national policy statement for the protection and promotion of human rights and to the ratification of the majority of the international human rights instruments as adequate barometers to measure the political will of Guinea to honour its international commitments. 30. Sierra Leone welcomed the regulatory framework for addressing a number of harmful traditional practices. It expressed concern about reports of civil unrest relating to the political process. 31. Slovakia welcomed the abolition of the death penalty in the criminal and military justice codes, and the penalization of the practices of child and forced marriage in the Criminal Code. It expressed concern about reports of fatal shootings of protesters resulting from the excessive use of force by security forces. 32. Slovenia stated that promoting equality and properly addressing harmful practices, marginalization and exclusion could prevent human rights abuses. 33. Solomon Islands acknowledged efforts made to promote and protect human rights, including laws on sectoral rights, the independence of the judiciary and the punishment of human rights violations. 4