A/HRC/13/16 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 of 18 June 2007, held its sixth session from 30 November to 11 December 2009. The review of Equatorial Guinea was held at the 15th meeting, on 9 December 2009. The delegation of Equatorial Guinea was headed by H.E. Mr. Salomon Nguema Owono. At its 17th meeting, on 11 December 2009, the Working Group adopted the present report on Equatorial Guinea. 2. On 14 September 2009, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Equatorial Guinea: Cuba, Egypt and Jordan. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to resolution 5/1, the following documents were issued for the review of Equatorial Guinea: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/6/GNQ /1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/6/GNQ /2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/6/GNQ /3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Argentina, the Czech Republic, Germany, Latvia, Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was transmitted to Equatorial Guinea through the troika.These questions are available on the extranet of the Working Group. I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. The delegation trusted that the universal periodic review will allow Equatorial Guinea to continue working for the defense and protection of Human Rights. It noted that the national report is the result of a consultative process at the national level and was elaborated by a commission. In a spirit of transparency, the national report analysed, as objectively as possible, the human rights situation in Equatorial Guinea, its different international commitments and the difficulties encountered in their implementation. 6. The delegation mentioned that Equatorial Guinea obtained national independence on 12October 1968 and that in this short political trajectory and relatively short period of time, the country has made firm steps forward in the field of human rights, despite the fact that the regime set up in the country immediately after its national independence and which lasted more than eleven years, had worsened the already dire human rights situation inherited from the colonial regime and which was characterized by systematic human rights violations. 7. The delegation stressed that human rights issues were taken up thanks to the action taken starting from the Freedom Coup of 3 August 1979 which allowed the government to install the rule of law in a democratic state, in order to eradicate the injustices and violations of the previous regime. 3