A/HRC/44/8 28. Germany appreciated the ongoing national reform process by Lesotho and the establishment of the National Reforms Authority, but expressed concern about the recent increase in police violence, which had led to several deaths in police custody. 29. Ghana commended the Government on its commitment to upholding the rule of law, promoting gender equality, empowering women, combating trafficking in persons, as well as promoting and protecting children’s rights. 30. Honduras welcomed the ratification of all core international human rights treaties, as well as various instruments of the International Labour Organization, and expressed satisfaction at the progress made regarding gender parity in education. 31. Iceland hoped that the implementation of steps outlined in the national report would continue, in particular the commitment demonstrated to address gender-based violence and the changes made to ensure equality regarding the acquisition of citizenship. 32. India noted with appreciation the consultation process undertaken, which included the setting-up of an interministerial committee on the universal periodic review with a view to the preparation of the national report. 33. Indonesia hailed the multi-pronged efforts of Lesotho to improve the implementation of social policies, as well as the country’s efforts to mainstream policies and actions in the field of disaster risk reduction. 34. The Islamic Republic of Iran appreciated the steps taken to promote children’s rights through the ongoing law reform process to harmonize the definition of “child” in all relevant legislation and align it on the definition found in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. 35. Iraq commended Lesotho on the consultative process that had accompanied the preparation of the national report and welcomed its accession to all core international human rights instruments and the National Strategic Development Plan II. 36. Ireland recognized that the current national reform process would be important for further promotion of human rights and encouraged Lesotho to continue efforts to strengthen the effectiveness of the National Human Rights Commission. 37. Italy praised the efforts carried out since the second cycle review, in particular the adoption of the Gender and Development Policy and the guidelines on herd-boys, as well as the initiatives that were designed to sensitize public opinion on the importance of preventing child, early and forced marriages. 38. Kuwait commended Lesotho on its efforts in the field of human rights and also wished to express its appreciation for the development of the Food and Nutrition Strategy and Action Plan 2019–2023. 39. Libya welcomed the positive steps taken in the area of human rights promotion, which included the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, as well as the country’s institutional and legal reforms. 40. Mali appreciated the Government’s efforts to enable the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission in 2016, but wished to point out that certain provisions of the law had to be reviewed. 41. The Marshall Islands commended Lesotho on its legal and constitutional reforms to adopt national legislation to enact all international human rights treaties ratified by it and hailed efforts to amend the Child Protection and Welfare Act. 42. Mauritius applauded the various legislative amendments and policies implemented to strengthen the human rights of citizens of Lesotho in order to improve their conditions of living, and hailed the passage of the National Human Rights Commission Act. 43. Mexico expressed its appreciation for the progress made by Lesotho, such as the reforms to the Marriage Act and the Child Protection and Welfare Act, which were aimed at eliminating child marriage. 5