A/HRC/17/2 629. Nigeria thanked Mozambique for its constructive engagement with universal periodic review. It was pleased that Mozambique had accepted a large number of recommendations and had taken steps towards implementing them, regardless of the numerous challenges encountered, which indicated country’s commitment to promote and protect human rights. Nigeria encouraged Mozambique to continue to implement the recommendations accepted and to improve its policies and programmes to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights, and urged the international community to assist Mozambique in this regard. 630. South Africa commended Mozambique for its positive consideration of a large number of recommendations, including those made by South Africa, as well as for having accepted such recommendations as acceding to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Optional Protocol thereto. It also commended the Government for its impressive progress in providing social services to all citizens, including in the health, education and housing sectors, and encouraged Mozambique to continue this commitment. It noted the encouraging participation of Mozambican citizens in democratic processes and decision-making, and was confident that Mozambique would continue to improve the human rights situation, despite its limited resources and capacities. South Africa encouraged the international community to provide Mozambique with the technical assistance and capacity-building necessary for it to implement and follow up on the recommendations accepted. 631. Namibia commended the Government’s efforts and progress made in the promotion and protection of human rights, noting that such a commitment was evident in the very large number of recommendations accepted. Namibia also congratulated Mozambique on positively considering its accession to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other international instruments. Namibia noted that Mozambique had embarked upon a number of initiatives in the health and education sectors, and had launched programmes aimed at poverty reduction. Namibia commended Mozambique for the continued rebuilding of the country after years of civil war and appealed to the international community to provide Mozambique with the support necessary for continued improvement in the lives of the Mozambican people. 632. Lesotho noted with satisfaction that human rights were a priority for Mozambique, as shown by the acceptance of the majority of recommendations, despite the challenges it faced. Lesotho also noted with satisfaction Mozambique’s efforts to fight corruption and promote transparency. Mozambique was a member of the group of least developed countries, and therefore faced challenges in ensuring equal rights for all its citizens. Lesotho urged the international community to continue to support Mozambique’s efforts to implement the recommendations accepted. 3. General comments made by other relevant stakeholders 633. Instituto Internazionale Maria Ausiliatrice delle Salesiane di Don Bosco, while welcoming Mozambique’s acceptance of recommendations, in particular on the right to education, identified issues in the educational system that affected the most vulnerable children, especially those living in rural areas and girls. It strongly recommended that Mozambique should ensure equal access to education and eradicate any gender disparity, and to provide subsidies to poorer families to ensure school attendance, and to provide adequate teacher training to ensure quality education. The organization expressed concern at the persistence of corporal punishment in private and public contexts, and certain traditional practices, in particular early marriages — which reached 60 per cent in rural areas and 39 per cent in urban areas — and made recommendations in that regard. 634. Amnesty International noted that Mozambique had already implemented or was implementing 92 of the 169 recommendations made. In that regard, it urged Mozambique 178 GE.12-13630