A/HRC/37/10 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, held its twenty-eighth session from 6 to 17 November 2017. The review of Benin was held at the 9th meeting, on 10 November 2017. The delegation of Benin was headed by the Keeper of the Seals and Minister of Justice and Legislation, Joseph Fifamin Djogbénou. At its 14th meeting, held on 14 November 2017, the Working Group adopted the report on Benin. 2. On 13 February 2017, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Benin: Ethiopia, Panama and United States of America. 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 Benin: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/28/BEN/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.6/28/BEN/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/28/BEN/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Liechtenstein, Portugal, Slovenia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Uruguay was transmitted to Benin through the troika. These questions are available on the extranet of the universal periodic review. I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. The delegation reaffirmed the commitment of Benin to human rights as a foundation on which the State was built, stressing that its report had been prepared following a process of national consultation involving State bodies and civil society actors, with the support of the specialized agencies of the United Nations system and the International Organization of la Francophonie. 6. Since 2012, the Government had been working to address the concerns expressed and recommendations and commitments made during the second cycle of the universal periodic review, inter alia, by strengthening the legal, programmatic and institutional frameworks in the area of human rights, although it recognized that further efforts were needed. 7. In particular, Benin had ratified several international and regional human rights treaties, such as the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Establishment of an African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. 8. At the same time, the process of ratifying other human rights instruments was under way, particularly for: (a) The amendments to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court relating to the crime of aggression adopted in Kampala; (b) The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure; 2 GE.17-23482