A/HRC/24/15 50. Algeria commended the National Plan of Action for Human Rights; the five-year protection plan against FGM; the National Human Rights Education Programme; measures to improve socioeconomic rights; the interministerial committee; and the law for persons with disabilities. It made recommendations. 51. Angola commended the National Plan of Action for Human Rights. It noted efforts to combat corruption; the ratification of OP-CAT and OP-CRC-AC, among others; and the establishment of several institutions, such as the interministerial committee. Angola made a recommendation. 52. Argentina commended the interministerial committee of prevention and fight against trafficking in persons and the interministerial committee to monitor the implementation of international and regional human rights mechanisms’ recommendations. Argentina made recommendations. 53. Armenia acknowledged the National Plan of Action for Human Rights and the ratification of human rights treaties. It noted the priority given to education and the invitation to the Independent Expert on minority issues. It made recommendations. 54. Australia welcomed the supplementary legislation on the functioning of the National Commission for Human Rights and Freedoms. It was concerned about prosecution of homosexuality. It called on Cameroon to implement the human rights conventions. It made recommendations. 55. Bangladesh noted the positive actions taken to ensure the right to food, work and employment, health, education and rights of persons with disabilities. 56. Belgium welcomed the greater independence of the National Commission for Human Rights and Freedoms as well as the setting up of a national human rights education programme. It made recommendations. 57. Replying to questions concerning homosexuality, the delegation of Cameroon noted that Cameroonian society did not yet accept homosexuality as normal behaviour and that attitudes would change over time. The delegation stressed that homosexuals were not persecuted and that the few incidents that had been brought to the attention of the international community had occurred in public places. The phenomenon, which was quantitatively negligible, should therefore be put into perspective. Furthermore, article 29 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provided that a State could limit a freedom for the purpose of “meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society”. 58. Concerning the death penalty, the delegation noted that only one execution had been carried out since President Paul Biya had come to power. The law was the expression of the general will and the Government was required to take into account its electorate, regardless of its convictions. The death penalty was not applied de facto and it would eventually be abolished but it was important to take into account changes in society. 59. With regard to journalists and human rights defenders, the delegation said that Cameroon had some 60 radio stations and 20 television channels, which allowed free debate, and about a hundred private newspapers. It declared that no journalists were in prison because of their profession and that no journalism graduates experienced problems. The Government did not prosecute journalists — only individuals did so, for defamation or dissemination of false information — and references to the decriminalization of press offences concerned defamation rather than press offences. 60. The delegation also said that the Government did not tolerate threats against human rights defenders and that investigations were carried out in such cases. 8 GE.13-15472

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