A/HRC/39/45 Maldives (2 March 2017), Nepal (1 March 2017), Pakistan (30 January 2017), the Philippines (6 April 2017), Senegal (24 January 2017), Spain (6 October 2017) and Thailand (6 April 2017). 39. Reminders of its earlier requests were sent to Israel (7 August 2017), the Republic of Korea (6 October 2017), the Russian Federation (30 January 2017), Turkey (8 November 2017), Uzbekistan (18 October 2017), the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (15 August 2017) and Viet Nam (6 April 2017). A request for a follow-up visit was sent to Hungary (6 April 2017). 40. During the course of the year, the Working Group met with the Permanent Missions of Australia, Bahrain, Bhutan, Guatemala, Israel, Japan, Maldives, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates to discuss the possibility of a country visit. 41. In 2017, the Working Group considered how it could more effectively follow up on the recommendations made during country visits and in its reports following such visits, in order to give effect to paragraph 32 of its methods of work. Among the options under consideration are the possibility of the Working Group meeting with representatives of States that it has visited to discuss follow-up to the Working Group’s findings, and seeking the views of stakeholders. In the future, the Working Group intends to seek further information from States that it has visited on the implementation of the recommendations formulated in its mission reports. 2. Responses from Governments to requests for invitations for country visits 42. On 25 April 2017, the Government of Sri Lanka extended an invitation to the Working Group to conduct a country visit, which took place from 4 to 15 December 2017. The findings of the visit are contained in an addendum to the present report (A/HRC/39/45/Add.2). 43. In a note verbale dated 12 January 2017, the Permanent Mission of Guatemala proposed that the visit of the Working Group could take place in 2018. In April 2017, the Working Group met with the Permanent Mission to discuss the possibility of a country visit, and is awaiting confirmation of the dates for the visit. 44. On 14 February 2017, the Government of Senegal responded that owing to a busy schedule (including ongoing reform of the criminal justice and penitentiary system), it would not be in a position to receive a visit from the Working Group in 2017. It remained open to considering such a visit at a later stage. 45. On 7 April 2017, the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan indicated that the Working Group should send a letter identifying potential dates for the visit. A follow-up letter to that effect was sent to the Permanent Mission on 8 November 2017. The Working Group is awaiting an official response from the Government. 46. On 7 August 2017, the Working Group sent a letter to the Government of Australia requesting a country visit and specifying its purpose. In a letter dated 24 November 2017, the country’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative noted his Government’s agreement in principle to a visit by the Working Group. He indicated that he was not in a position to agree on a date at that stage, but noted that the Government would work towards a visit in the first quarter of 2019. His successor would be in touch with the Working Group in the second half of 2018 to discuss arrangements further. 47. In a note verbale dated 9 August 2017, the Permanent Mission of the Bahamas conveyed the willingness of the Government to receive the Working Group on its official mission. The Working Group was invited to propose two dates for the consideration of the Government. On 5 October 2017, the Working Group sent a letter to the Government advising that it accepted the invitation and proposed that the visit be conducted between May and July 2018. The Working Group is awaiting an official response from the Government. 48. On 17 August 2017, the Secretariat met with the Permanent Mission of Bhutan to clarify the modalities of country visits by the Working Group. The Working Group has 25