A/HRC/44/6 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, held its thirty-fifth session from 20 to 31 January 2020. The review of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic was held at the 3rd meeting, on 21 January 2020. The delegation of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic was headed by the Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office, Chairman of the National Committee on Human Rights, Bounkeut Sangsomsak. At its 9th meeting, held on 24 January 2020, the Working Group adopted the report on the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. 2. On 14 January 2020, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia and Italy. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to Council resolution 16/21, the following documents were issued for the review of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/35/LAO/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/35/LAO/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/35/LAO/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Belgium, Canada, Germany, Liechtenstein, Portugal, on behalf of the Group of Friends on national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up, Slovenia, Spain, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America was transmitted to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic through the troika. These questions are available on the website of the universal periodic review. I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. The delegation of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic highlighted that the promotion and protection of human rights in the country had been a part of its long history. Over the past five years, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic had maintained political stability, social order and economic growth leading to a gradual enhancement of people’s living conditions and enjoyment of their rights. The Government was in the final year of its implementation of the eighth national socioeconomic development plan (2016–2020), and was in the process of formulating its ninth such plan, for 2021–2025, integrating the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 6. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic had actively cooperated with international and regional human rights mechanisms. It had become a party to almost all of the human rights instruments. It had engaged in bilateral human rights dialogues with Australia and the European Union. During the reporting period, the State had submitted a number of national reports to treaty bodies and had received visits from the Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material, in 2017, and the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, in 2019. 7. The State had an open and supportive policy for all people to have the freedom to express their opinions in a creative manner and the freedom of peaceful assembly, to conduct research and to produce publications that were not contrary to the law. Those rights 2