A/HRC/13/7 69. Mauritius noted the absence of a national human rights institution accredited by the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights as being in compliance with the Paris Principles. It welcomed the strides made by Cyprus in pursuit of gender equality in all spheres of life. It noted, however, that despite such initiatives there still existed deep-rooted traditional social prejudices and stereotyped attitudes resulting in continued marginalization of women in society. Mauritius welcomed the establishment of a Commissioner for the Protection of Children’s Rights and the determination shown by Cyprus to educate children on their rights and to increase their access to information. In that regard, it requested further details on how Cyprus dealt with the specific needs of children from the minority groups and asked whether relevant authorities took into due account traditional and cultural aspects when establishing national education curricula. 70. Jordan welcomed, inter alia, the establishment of the National Institution for the Protection of Human Rights and other monitoring mechanisms. It stressed the importance of the instruments to which Cyprus was a party taking primacy over national legislation. It appreciated the efforts to tackle issues relating to refugees, asylum-seekers, immigrants and irregular immigrants by addressing concerns raised by UNHCR, human rights treaty bodies and special procedures. It encouraged Cyprus to finalize the ratification process with respect to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and to complete the restructuring the National Institution for the Protection of Human Rights in accordance with the Paris Principles. 71. Burundi noted that freedom of expression was provided for in the Constitution and that the right to education was a priority, as witnessed by the provision schooling system free of charge. It welcomed the fact that Cyprus was one of the first countries to have signed CPD and encouraged it to complete the ratification process. Burundi welcomed the commitment of the authorities to continue to developing means of preventing ill-treatment and trafficking in human beings. It noted with satisfaction the desire of Cyprus to combat offences committed by the forces of law and order and the setting up of an independent authority to investigate complaints against the police, including human rights violations. In view of all the efforts undertaken to promote and protect human rights, Burundi asked the Human Rights Council to give Cyprus its full support. 72. In response to issues raised, Cyprus welcomed the participation of Turkey in the present intergovernmental process of examination of Cyprus in the framework of the universal periodic review. Cyprus stated that given the presence of 43,000 heavily armed Turkish solders on the island, it was always very much interested in listening to what Turkey had to say. It further stated that that the members of the two communities in Cyprus had grown mature through assessment of their past painful history and that they now wished to leave the past behind and build a better future in a bi-communal, bi-zonal federal Cyprus with a single sovereignty, a single international personality and a single citizenship and political equality as defined in the relevant Security Council resolutions. It called in that regard for the abolition of the de facto division of the island through the withdrawal of the Turkish troops. 73. Cyprus informed the Working Group that a letter would be sent to the President of the Human Rights Council in response to the erroneous and historically distorted account of the Cyprus issue given by Turkey, and requested that it be circulated as an official document. Cyprus considered that the remarks and recommendations made by Turkey are not relevant to the UPR exercise, since they are factually incorrect and do not comply with the basis of the review stipulated in HRC resolution 5/1 “Institution-building of the United Nations Human Rights Council” and 8/PRST/1 on the modalities and practices for the universal periodic review process. 13