A/HRC/29/11 Presidential elections had, on the whole, been better than in previous elections, although a number of irregularities had still been observed. 106. Greece highlighted progress in different areas, in particular in the promotion of gender equality, the fight against human trafficking and the protection of children. 107. Indonesia welcomed the development of the National Strategy and Action Plan for the Protection of Human Rights and the decision to sign ICRMW. 108. The Islamic Republic of Iran was convinced that the efforts made to address the scourges of human trafficking and domestic violence would result in better protection of the rights of women and children. It also commended Armenia for the special attention paid to the improvement of children’s rights. 109. Ireland was pleased that a number of special procedures mandate holders had been invited to Armenia and that the national human rights institution had retained its “A” status. It noted that concerns had been expressed at the hindrances to the exercise of the right to freedom of assembly and expression. 110. Italy welcomed the ratification of numerous human rights instruments and the measures taken to promote women’s rights and gender equality. It encouraged Armenia to ensure that civil society organizations were consulted effectively on reform proposals that might affect their activities. 111. Kazakhstan welcomed the ratification of ICPPED and CRPD and noted with satisfaction the progress achieved in the fight against human trafficking and measures taken towards better gender equality. 112. Noting the efforts undertaken in the fields of education and the fight against human trafficking, Kuwait called on Armenia to continue its efforts in those areas. It also welcomed the ratification of ICPPED and CRPD. 113. China appreciated the efforts of Armenia to combat violence against women and human trafficking, to protect the rights of people with disabilities, to develop education and culture for minorities, to ensure children’s welfare and to realize the right to education for children with special needs. 114. In his closing remarks, the Head of the Delegation of Armenia highlighted the country’s priority in protecting the rights of racial, religious, ethnic and national minorities. Most essential was the right to life of those groups, as protected in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Resolute, timely acknowledgement, absolute rejection and condemnation, assessment and monitoring could prevent genocide. Therefore the issue of the prevention of genocide had specific importance for Armenia. Armenia had initiated resolutions related to the Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The most recent, resolution 22/22, had been adopted by consensus at the twenty-second session of the Human Rights Council. 115. Armenia considered that the duty of memory and remembrance empowered by the realization of the right to the truth was an important dimension of genocide prevention. Armenia underlined that denying, trivializing, condoning or justifying past genocides infringed upon the human rights of victims of genocide. He regretted the fact that the Turkish delegation had used the opportunity for dialogue with Armenia to reaffirm its policy of denial. 116. Armenia disagreed with the approach of establishing equivalence between the victim and the perpetrator and called upon Turkey to face its own history, thus relieving the next generations of the heavy burden of the past. 13