A/HRC/8/49 Page 6 16. Slovenia noted that reports raise concerns about the legal situation of religious freedom. It was concerned that the rights under the new law on religion adopted in 2006 are enjoyed only by the “recognized religious dominations”. It asked Romania to elaborate further on how the new legislation ensures equal religious freedom for all religious dominations and recommended that Romania harmonize further its legislation relating to on freedom of religion with international standards. It also recommended that Romania systematically and continuously integrate a gender perspective in the follow-up process to the review. 17. China noted that Romania is continuing to refine its national legislation by setting up specialized bodies, such as the National Council for Combating Discrimination, and formulating relevant policies and plans of actions, including for the Roma minority. Romania has also strengthened its cooperation with the international community and has participated actively in the work of the Human Rights Council. It noted that the national report refers to the challenges Romania faces in the promotion and protection of human rights. It asked about the status of implementation of the 2006 – 2009 National Strategy for Equal Opportunities and the results it has achieved. 18. Tunisia commended Romania on its efforts to promote the rights of the child and welcomed the National Strategic Plan for Children, the new national authority for protection of the rights of children and the existence of a high-level group consisting of government officials, members of Parliament, and representatives of UNICEF, the World Bank, WHO and civil society, set up to advise the Government on the implementation of a strategy ensuring that children enjoy protection in line with international standards. It recommended that Romania pursue its efforts to ensure the best possible protection to children, particularly the most vulnerable ones. 19. Azerbaijan welcomed the democratization process and the progress achieved by Romania in the field of human rights. It noted the participation and cooperation of Romania with the treaty bodies and special procedures. It commended Romania on its comprehensive anti-trafficking laws and the enlargement of the Baby-Friendly-Hospital initiative. It asked if Romania could provide information about the state of affairs with respect to the visit of the Special Rapporteur on the right to education. Regarding a joint appeal sent by special procedures on the growing number of children trafficked and in sexual exploitation, it asked about obstacles to measures taken to address this situation. It also enquired about measures taken to tackle the issue of religious defamation and public offence to religious symbols. 20. The United States of America asked what the Government has done to ensure that government entities responsible for the implementation of the 2005 child welfare law are aware of their responsibilities and are performing their duties in a manner as required. It also asked why the implementation of the law on property restitution passed in 2005 has been so slow, and why the Government has failed to persuade the Romanian Orthodox Church to cooperate in this process. It recommended that Romania make vigorous efforts to work with the Orthodox Church on the issue of property restitution, including for it to abide by judicial rulings. 21. Canada noting that Romania’s accession to the EU was accompanied by benchmarks to monitor progress in the fight against corruption and that it had intensified its efforts, asked what additional steps were being taken in this regard. It recommended that Romania develop a coherent countrywide anti-corruption strategy and monitor its implementation. It recommended that Romania strengthen the capacity of the judiciary at all levels and accelerate legal reforms, especially in the field of judicial treatment of high-level corruption as per the objective stated in the European Commission report of 27 June 2007 under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. It noted that Roma remain the most vulnerable ethnic minority and recommended that Romania