A/HRC/30/3 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, held its twenty-second session from 4 to 15 May 2015. The review of Belarus was held at the 1st meeting, on 4 May 2015. The delegation of Belarus was headed by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Valentin Rybakov. At its 10th meeting, held on 8 May 2015, the Working Group adopted the report on Belarus. 2. On 13 January 2015, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Belarus: Algeria, Pakistan and Paraguay. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to Council resolution 16/21, the following documents were issued for the review of Belarus: (a) A national report (A/HRC/WG.6/22/BLR/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) (A/HRC/WG.6/22/ BLR/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR (A/HRC/WG.6/22/ BLR/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America was transmitted to Belarus 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 emphasized the importance of the universal periodic review to Belarus as a mechanism for the objective assessment of the human rights situation in every country. Belarus had worked on the implementation of the recommendations from the first cycle. Progress had been regularly monitored, involving all branches of Government, the academic community, civil society and the United Nations, and a midterm progress report on implementation had been submitted. 6. The national report had been prepared in partnership with civil society through four rounds of national consultation, which had resulted in measures such as equipping polling stations with Braille materials from 2015. 7. Human rights and freedoms were guaranteed in the Constitution and widely recognized principles of international law had been transposed into national legislation. As a relatively new State, Belarus had set itself ambitious tasks in protecting the rights of its citizens. In a complex geopolitical situation, Belarus remained an island of peace, tranquillity and order, thanks to strong State power and effective State policy. 8. In the past five years, Belarus had climbed 15 places in the Human Development Index; almost all of the Millennium Development Goals had been achieved, five of them ahead of schedule. Other positive indicators had been achieved in the fields of education, gender equality, improving the quality of drinking water and immunization of children. 3