A/HRC/11/L.10 page 115 determination to continue its efforts in the area of human rights, including legislative and institutional reforms aimed at meeting its economic, cultural, social and political needs and specificities. The universal periodic review recommendations and Saudi Arabia’s voluntary commitments would undoubtedly give new impetus to these worthy efforts. 3. General comments made by other relevant stakeholders 471. The National Association of Cuban Economists noted that Saudi Arabia had achieved important objectives in terms of legislation and in putting into practice economic and social rights. Saudi Arabia helped generously to ease the situation in countries affected by the food crisis, unlike what most developed countries had done. It urged Saudi Arabia to continue its efforts to promote economic, social and cultural rights and to redouble its efforts to guarantee dialogue between religions and civilizations. 472. The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies welcomed the fact that Saudi Arabia had accepted most of the recommendations. It urged the State to ratify international human rights instruments, modify its legislation so as to conform to human rights standards and allow access to all special rapporteurs with pending requests for a visit. The State should abolish all legislation, measures and practices that view women as second-class citizens, enact legislation that criminalizes violence against women and withdraw its two reservations to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The Institute highlighted its concern about religious freedom in the country and discrimination against the Shiite minority. It asked the State to cease all types of corporal and inhumane punishment. 473. Amnesty International welcomed the fact that Saudi Arabia had accepted most of the recommendations. It highlighted, however, the Government’s decision to reject a number of recommendations, particularly those related to the death penalty, which is used against juvenile offenders for offences with no lethal consequences and against foreign nationals. It stated that the death penalty is applied after secret and summary trials of defendants with no legal assistance. Amnesty International called on Saudi Arabia to reconsider recommendations to establish a moratorium on all executions. It also noted that thousands of people arrested on counter-terrorism grounds were currently being held in secret detention, most without charge or trial and without access to a lawyer or to the courts. Many had allegedly been tortured or otherwise ill-treated in order to extract confessions.