A/HRC/38/13 58. Australia was concerned about reports of discrimination and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons and of undue political influence and intimidation of journalists, despite several measures taken to address those issues. It was also concerned about reports that corruption remained prevalent among the police and the judiciary, and in the health, education and employment sectors. 59. Austria commended Montenegro for its efforts to strengthen the rule of law, including the reform of the judiciary. It noted that, despite the progress achieved in addressing discrimination, the Roma population continued to be subjected to discrimination in various areas of life. It was concerned about violence against journalists. 60. Azerbaijan noted the reforms undertaken by Montenegro to effectively combat corruption, particularly the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Agency and the adoption of legislation on the obstruction of justice and undue influence. 61. Belarus noted the establishment of various institutions for the protection and promotion of human rights. It noted, however, the limited impact made by those institutions. Belarus hoped that the Government would give due attention to increasing the effectiveness of its national human rights mechanisms. 62. Bhutan noted the efforts made by the Government to protect the rights of vulnerable groups, and the amendments made to the Criminal Code and the Law on Gender Equality. 63. Bosnia and Herzegovina commended the Government for its efforts to strengthen the institutional framework on human rights and for ratifying almost all the international human rights instruments. It congratulated Montenegro for beginning to develop a national mechanism to follow up on the implementation of international obligations. 64. Brazil invited Montenegro to establish a statelessness determination procedure. It noted the efforts made to ensure redress for war crimes. It commended the adoption of laws on anti-discrimination and gender equality, the establishment of the national mechanism for the prevention of torture and the adoption of the 2030 National Strategy for Sustainable Development. 65. Bulgaria acknowledged the implementation of the 2014 Law on the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms, strengthening the mandate and independence of the Ombudsman. It commended Montenegro for the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Agency and for its efforts to enhance gender equality and protect the rights of the child. 66. Canada welcomed the efforts to address discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons and to uphold the right to freedom of assembly and expression by permitting pride marches in Podgorica. It was concerned about reports of media outlets and journalists being exposed to economic pressure and threats. 67. Chile congratulated Montenegro for its approval of the amended AntiDiscrimination Law, which had redefined the terms “discrimination” and “hate speech” by integrating the elements of the European standards into its text. Chile was concerned that some of the international human rights instruments had not yet been ratified. 68. China noted the adoption of laws on anti-discrimination, on gender equality and on the rights of persons with disabilities, as well as the adoption of strategies on the prevention of domestic violence and the protection of children from violence. 69. The delegation of Montenegro stated that further action had been taken to prevent and repress corruption. Over 1,000 cases had been brought against public officials, resulting in more than 200 dismissals. Moreover, corruption cases examined by the Special State Prosecution Office during the four years since its establishment had resulted in 99 investigations and 36 indictments, all of which had been confirmed. Furthermore, 18 cases had been resolved with convictions. As for illicitly obtained property, financial investigations had been conducted into 119 natural persons and 14 legal persons. 70. The further development of media freedom was a State priority. In that regard, the adoption of new legislation was planned to prevent any undue political influence of the public broadcaster and a new law on media freedom had been planned for adoption in 2018. 7