A/HRC/10/79 Page 6 to adopt all procedural laws necessary to ensure women’s access to justice, and to enhance their awareness of their rights through legal literacy programmes and legal assistance. Lastly, Switzerland commended Turkmenistan for its efforts in education. It recommended that the Government widely disseminate the main human rights texts, particularly by providing courses on human rights in school curricula in order to make all social categories aware of their rights. 20. The Russian Federation expressed gratitude for the substantive national report. It noted with satisfaction the progress made in bringing national legislation into line with international norms, in enhancing the national potential for human rights protection, and in ensuring that the population is better informed. It expressed its great respect for the Government for having carried out a broad range of reforms in education, health and social security. It noted the Government’s constant attention to ensuring that the country is able to observe inter-ethnic peace and harmony, and to avoiding ethnic discrimination. In this connection, it enquired about further measures envisaged by the Government. 21. Azerbaijan highlighted the establishment of the national strategy on political, economic and cultural development of Turkmenistan until 2020, and that the citizens’ complaint commission allows authorities to address violations effectively. Azerbaijan also noted that Turkmenistan had abolished the death penalty and that it is reviewing the compatibility of domestic legislation with international human rights standards. Azerbaijan pointed to the positive step taken in granting more than 16,000 refugees and internally displaced persons citizenship status. It asked Turkmenistan for information on measures taken to combat human trafficking. 22. Algeria noted that, according to the national report, international instruments to which Turkmenistan is a party have precedence over domestic legislation. Algeria requested detailed information on this issue and recommended that appropriate attention be paid to the integration into domestic legislation of the commitments undertaken by Turkmenistan by virtue of international conventions on human rights. Algeria noted that the national report showed the willingness of Turkmenistan to remedy the delay in presenting its reports to the various treaty bodies. It recommended that the Government, with the assistance of OHCHR, pursue its efforts to abide by the timeline described in the national report relating to its reporting to treaty bodies. Furthermore, Algeria commended the reforms by the Government in education. It encouraged the Government to continue its efforts to establish an educational system in conformity with international standards, especially through the inclusion of human rights education in the curricula, as recommended by the Committee of the Rights of the Child. 23. Poland stressed that the situation of human rights defenders is of great concern, in the light of reports of their severe repression, harassment, torture and other ill treatment, arbitrary detention and imprisonment after unfair trials. Poland appealed to the Government to release all human rights defenders, and recommended it take measures to protect them from prosecution and ensure a safe environment for their activities. Poland noted that the Law on Public Associations greatly limits the ability of organizations and individuals to participate in public life and Government decision-making. Poland enquired about steps to be taken to remove restrictions to the functioning of independent civil society organizations. It recommended that the Government take effective measures to allow them to register and work freely. Poland noted that the application of the propiska system of registration of permanent residence severely restricts access to housing, employment, social benefits, free health care and education and asked about the Government’s intentions to change this system and recommended the abolition of the legislation and practices arising from it.