A/HRC/38/51 lives more beautiful and exciting.35 Three days earlier, President Lukashenko had appointed 21 new high-level administrative staff members, with no women among them. 36 98. The Special Rapporteur recalls that, during its consideration of the eighth periodic report of Belarus in October 2016, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women reiterated most of the recommendations it had made five years earlier (CEDAW/C/BLR/CO/7). The Special Rapporteur recalls that Sustainable Development Goal 5 deals with gender equality and that, with the concluding observations of the Committee (CEDAW/C/BLR/CO/8) and other relevant mechanisms, the Government of Belarus has a full toolbox with which to achieve that Goal. 3. Persons with disabilities 99. Belarus was the last European country to sign the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in 2015, ratifying it and its Optional Protocol in 2016. The initial report of Belarus to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is due to be submitted by 29 December 2018. 100. The Special Rapporteur hopes that the situation of the approximately 555,000 officially recorded individuals (about 6 per cent of the population) receiving a disability pension will significantly improve. Such progress should not only translate into enhanced financial support but also into better accessibility to their environment, to the labour market and other fundamental aspects of daily life. 101. Specialized NGOs report that progress on an accessible environment, especially regarding cultural and other facilities, has been slow or inadequate, but that there have been good discussions on the creation of quotas for persons with disabilities in companies. The Special Rapporteur commends NGO staff members and disability rights activists for their efforts regarding visibility and their creativity when carrying out advocacy work, and hopes that the Government will establish a dialogue with them. 4. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons 102. The authorities of Belarus continue to refuse to allow lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons to exercise a number of rights. Same-sex relationships are stigmatized and civil society organizations working on related issues repeatedly have their requests for accreditation rejected. The inter-agency plan for human rights does not contain any recommendation aimed at ending discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, thus failing to acknowledge what is a part of the reality of Belarusian society. 103. Law No. 362-729 on the protection of children from information harmful to their health and development, which was signed by the President in May 2016, entered into force in July 2017. Under the law, any information (described in the text of the law as “propaganda”) that could affect the institutions of the family and marriage is prohibited. 104. Over the past 10 years, the public space for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons has shrunk sharply. Minsk previously hosted a gay pride march in the early 2000s, but no such gathering has taken place since 2010, owing to the absence of official authorization, a factor that spreads fear among would-be organizers of such events. V. Conclusions and recommendations 105. The findings for the period under review show no improvement of the human rights situation in Belarus. The effects of the continuous application of an oppressive regulatory and punitive framework were aggravated by recurring violent crackdowns on those exercising the right to peaceful assembly, such as in February and March 35 36 See http://president.gov.by/en/news_en/view/womens-day-greetings-18257/. See www.belarus.by/en/government/events/belarus-president-makes-newappointments_i_75599.html. 17