A/HRC/44/8 Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the initial report under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment were being drafted and would be submitted to the relevant treaty bodies in due course. Furthermore, Lesotho had extended a standing invitation to the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, who had visited the country between 4 and 15 February 2019. The visit report had been submitted to the Human Rights Council at its forty-second session. The recommendations contained therein concerning water supply and the provision of sanitation services were being implemented incrementally. 8. Progress had been made with regard to the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission. After the promulgation of the National Human Rights Commission Act in 2016, there had been concerns expressed by NGOs that the Act did not comply with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles). A case had been lodged by the NGOs in that regard. The case had been dismissed by the High Court and an appeal lodged but later withdrawn when the Government and the NGOs had agreed to review the Act accordingly. A Cabinet memorandum, which spelled out the changes that would be made to the Act and regulations, had been tabled before Cabinet for consideration. Once it had been approved, drafting instructions had been provided to the Parliamentary Counsel. 9. As regards the rights of women, Lesotho had made progress in promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women. Progress had been noted in education and nonagricultural wage employment. At the 27th African Union Summit, held in Rwanda in July 2016, Lesotho had won the 2016 African Gender Award as one of the continent’s top performers in the advancement of the economic and social rights of women. Steps had been taken to curb trafficking in persons and gender-based violence, such as the development of the Domestic Violence Bill. However, despite those measures, gender-based violence remained a challenge for women in Lesotho. 10. As regards children’s rights, the Government was in the process of amending the Child Protection and Welfare Act 2011. The Child Protection and Welfare Amendment Bill 2019 made child marriage a punishable offence. The Bill also abolished all forms of child labour. 11. With regard to the rights of persons with disabilities, the Disability Equity Bill had passed its second and third readings in the National Assembly and was currently in the Senate. It contained provisions on inclusive education. 12. As regards the rights to education and health, some of the challenges faced by the education sector were child, early and forced marriages, which contributed to the high dropout rate for girls. There were ongoing sensitization campaigns aimed at encouraging both teachers and parents to allow pregnant girls to remain in class for as long as possible. 13. In order to improve rural women’s access to sexual and reproductive health rights, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with NGOs, civil society organizations and development partners, had taken the following measures: recruiting and building the capacity of village health workers whose mandate included the distribution of family planning commodities and the provision of information on family planning at the community level. The Ministry of Health had also updated the community-based distributors’ manual on the distribution of family planning commodities. 14. As regards conditions of detention, the Lesotho Correctional Service had established a health section comprising a HIV/AIDS coordinator, nursing officers, nursing sisters, nutrition officers, health inspectors and pharmacy technicians. In the correctional institution for women, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS and antenatal and postnatal care were provided. The programme on sexual and reproductive health had been launched in September 2015. There was access to antiretroviral treatment for all inmates, including foreigners, and support teams had been formed in most institutions. Training for young persons on HIV/AIDS and life skills had also been carried out. 15. During the second cycle of the universal periodic review, Lesotho had noted all the recommendations that dealt with key populations, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, as well as those on decriminalizing defamation. On those 3