A/HRC/43/11 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, held its thirty-fourth session from 4 to 15 November 2019. The review of Angola was held at the 8th meeting, on 7 November 2019. The delegation of Angola was headed by the Minister of External Relations, Manuel Domingos Augusto. At its 14th meeting, held on 12 November 2019, the Working Group adopted the report on Angola. 2. On 15 January 2019, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Angola: Cameroon, Croatia and Qatar. 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 Angola: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/34/AGO/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/34/AGO/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/34/AGO/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Belgium, Portugal, on behalf of the Group of Friends on national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America was transmitted to Angola through the troika. These questions are available on the website of the universal periodic review. I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. The Minister of External Relations introduced the national report of Angola to the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review. 6. The delegation noted that the national report had been prepared by the country’s national mechanism for implementation, reporting and follow-up of recommendations, the Intersectoral Commission for the Preparation of National Human Rights Reports. 7. With the new political cycle inaugurated by the President, João Lourenço, in 2017, human rights had taken on a new dimension. Provincial human rights committees had been set up across the country and the National Human Rights Strategy 2019–2022, which was in the final phase of approval, had been developed with the broad participation of civil society. 8. The report provided information on progress achieved in response to the 226 recommendations received during the second cycle of the universal periodic review (2015– 2019) and had been the object of broad consultations with different State and non-State partners. 9. There had been considerable improvement in terms of the Human Development Index (from 0.532 in 2015 to 0.581 in 2018). Life expectancy at birth had increased from about 44 years in 2000 to 61 years in 2018. Angola was now considered a “medium development” country, having attained one of the highest levels of development in subSaharan Africa. 2