A/HRC/34/9 40. Egypt welcomed the legal amendments to counter domestic violence and to address the gender pay gap for work of equal value. Egypt remained concerned about intolerance and the increasing number of hate crimes and acts of racism and xenophobia. 41. Estonia noted with appreciation that Lithuania was a party to the core human rights treaties and fully cooperated with the United Nations special procedures. It welcomed achievements in the field of gender equality and the protection of the rights of women and of persons belonging to national minorities. It encouraged Lithuania to involve civil society in the development, implementation and evaluation of the anti-trafficking policy. 42. Finland noted some improvements in sexual and reproductive health and rights. It noted with satisfaction that organizations of persons with disabilities had been included in the development of the National Programme for the Social Integration of Persons with Disabilities. 43. France welcomed the ratification by Lithuania of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture during the reporting period. 44. Georgia welcomed the ratification by Lithuania of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, and its efforts to establish a national human rights institution in compliance with the Paris Principles. Georgia noted that Lithuania provided technical assistance to other countries, including Georgia, and that it had taken measures to improve the children’s rights protection system. 45. Germany was concerned at the lack of progress made to reduce the lengthy prison sentences and to improve prison conditions in Lithuania. 46. The delegation of Lithuania stated that the rights of persons belonging to ethnic minorities, including their rights to use, practise and manifest their own language, religion, culture and identity, were guaranteed by the Constitution and domestic legislation. Priority was given to the creation of a harmonious environment for the integration of ethnic minorities into Lithuanian society and to the preservation of their national identity, language and culture, inter alia through a tolerance promotion programme. The most explicit proof of that right was the Polish minority, which had had shared responsibility for governing the country for two years. Representatives of national minorities were well represented in the newly elected parliament. The Department of National Minorities had been established in 2015. The draft law on national minorities had passed through two of the three steps in the adoption procedure by the parliament. It raised sensitive issues that required mutual agreement by all stakeholders. 47. Members of major national minorities could study in their native languages from kindergarten to university. The minority language schools received 20 per cent more funding than mainstream schools. The first meetings of an advisory committee established by the Department of National Minorities in 2016 had focused on the native language maturity examination. The Ministry of Education held regular meetings with representatives of national minorities. 48. According to the 2011 population census, there were 2,115 Roma living in Lithuania, 93.3 per cent of whom had Lithuanian citizenship. Two Roma integration programmes were being implemented. The levels of Roma illiteracy and incomplete primary education had declined from 47 per cent in 2001 to 8 per cent in 2015. Seminars were held for teachers of Roma children. Special measures were being taken to promote the integration of Roma children living in the Kirtimai settlement. 49. Unemployment among the Roma had decreased during the reporting period. European Union funds were allocated to projects to integrate Roma into the labour market. The municipality of Vilnius provided social housing for Roma families living in the 8