A/HRC/10/29 673. Thirdly, as a result of consistent development in the area of judicial and legal reform, Uzbekistan had started to see concrete results in the application of habeas corpus. This institution came into force on 1 January 2008 and had served to strengthen the procedural guarantees for the protection of constitutional rights and freedoms for Uzbekistan’s citizens during criminal proceedings. As of 2008, Uzbekistan has been implementing a whole set of legal and organizational reforms related to the legal profession. It has established a bar association, a chamber of lawyers and an independent professional association, which carried out a broad range of tasks, including social protection and support for lawyers, educational activities and representation and defence in matters related to the State. The guarantee of legal status of lawyers was achieved through the introduction of administrative responsibility on the part of public officials for hampering activities of lawyers. The Government had taken a decision to support such national human rights institutions as the Parliamentary Ombudsman and the national human rights centre, established in accordance with the Paris Principles and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. The institution of habeas corpus, the improvement of the status and institution of the legal profession and the national human rights institutions should all be seen as consistent steps being taken by Uzbekistan to implement judicial and legal reforms and to carry out international obligations in the human rights area. 674. Uzbekistan had also submitted a document with its answers and commentaries to the recommendations of the Working Group. Uzbekistan had carefully studied all the recommendations made by Member States. Uzbekistan was pleased to report that work to implement the recommendations accepted following its review had already begun. In keeping with the spirit and the principles of the Council, Uzbekistan intended to adopt and implement a national plan of action to fulfil the recommendations. It intended to continue to work consistently and actively together with the United Nations treaty bodies by submitting periodic reports, and with the special procedures and other mechanisms of the Council. In December 2008 and January 2009, Uzbekistan had provided its replies to the questionnaires from the special rapporteurs on education and on violence against women, and in March from the Council’s Advisory Committee on the draft declaration on human rights education and training. 675. The universal periodic review mechanism had made it possible for Uzbekistan to thoroughly analyse and evaluate State policy on the realization of various human rights and to strengthen coordination and interaction among various State bodies and civil society structures. In keeping this important principle in mind, the State institutions together with civil society bodies would be working on the national plan of action to implement the recommendations from its review. Uzbekistan hoped for the understanding of the Members and observers of the Council and also for their constructive and fruitful cooperation as Uzbekistan implemented the common goals of promoting, realizing and protecting human rights at both the national and international levels. (b) Views expressed by Member and observer States of the Council on the review outcome 676. Azerbaijan noted that a significant step had been taken to uphold the role of Parliament, political parties and civil society. Azerbaijan made reference to the growing number of non-governmental organizations, the establishment of the role of a human rights commissioner for Parliament and the national centre for human rights, the abolition of the death penalty, the introduction of habeas corpus and the adoption of several national plans of action in various human rights fields, which demonstrated the will of Uzbekistan to improve further the human rights situation in the country. Uzbekistan would benefit from the universal periodic review mechanism by, inter alia, the successful implementation of recommendations. 198 GE.09-17451