A/HRC/11/20 Page 9 41. Egypt welcomed the establishment of the Human Rights Commissioner, which also includes a Special Counsellor on gender equality, as well as the State Committee on Women’s Affairs. Egypt referred to the recommendation of CRC that this Office include a unit on children’s rights. It welcomed the cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Human Rights Council, OHCHR and the different treaty bodies. It recommended that Azerbaijan continue efforts to promote and protect human rights in collaboration with the Human Rights Council and OHCHR on the basis of the needs identified by Azerbaijan and also continue its efforts to ensure that national laws are consistent with international obligations, and to further their implementation on the ground. 42. Sweden recommended increasing the efforts to ensure that detention conditions fully meets international human rights standards. Sweden recommended Azerbaijan to ensure that all branches of the State, including agents of public authorities, fully respects and promotes the freedom of expression. Concerned by recent decisions to stop foreign media from broadcasting in Azerbaijan, Sweden recommended Azerbaijan to fully uphold media freedom in accordance with international obligations. Sweden also recommended the Government to uphold the respect of the right to peaceful assembly and ensure that this right is effectively implemented. 43. Norway recommended Azerbaijan to issue a standing invitation to the Special Procedures. Norway recommended that Azerbaijan ensure that its media regulations promote diversity among media outlets in line with international standards and best practices. Norway recommended that crimes and violations against journalists and human rights defenders are effectively investigated and prosecuted, and that those responsible are punished. Norway recommended that complaints of harassment of journalists and human rights defenders receive prompt response and that adequate measures for their safety are taken. Finally Norway recommended that the State officials are discouraged from continuing the current practice of instituting lawsuit against journalists and human rights defenders that publish criticism. 44. Tunisia noted with interest the National Action Plan to promote human rights, the aim being, inter alia, to develop interaction between the state and civil society. Tunisia welcomed the considerable efforts to curb violence against women. It expressed the view that the project on combating violence against women in the 21st century is an important approach in safeguarding the rights of women, including in countering early marriages, and in reducing the impact of this phenomenon on the family, particularly children. 45. Spain asked what kind of measures Azerbaijan will adopt in order to guarantee religious freedom including to ensure a greater press freedom and the eventual de-criminalization of defamation. Spain stated that approximately 600,000 Azeri have been living as IDPs for more than a decade as a result of the 1991-94 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and asked what the Government is doing to ensure the enjoyment of human rights by IDPs. Spain asked about measures being taken in order to prevent cases of torture and abuses by police authorities. 46. Indonesia commended the new legislation on the Penal Enforcement Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure of 24 June 2008, which contains some progressive dispositions regarding the welfare of detainees and prisoners. Indonesia recommended Azerbaijan to ensure the effective implementations of these new laws. Indonesia recommended the Government to continue and intensify its efforts on behalf of children and women generally, to ensure their safety in the domestic environment and to remove any obstacles to their education, development and access to equal opportunities.

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