A/HRC/48/15 92. Austria welcomed the adoption of the law granting automatic citizenship to children of non-citizens. It noted that, despite the progress made, the levels of violence against women and domestic violence remained high. 93. Bangladesh took note of the progress made by Latvia since its second review and encouraged it to make further efforts to fulfil its human rights obligations. 94. Belarus was concerned about policies in several areas that discriminated against ethnic minorities and about the situation of elderly persons, who were at risk of poverty and social exclusion. 95. Belgium welcomed the progress made by Latvia since its previous reviews, while noting that, notwithstanding its achievements, there was room for progress, in particular regarding gender-based violence and combating trafficking. 96. Bhutan noted with appreciation the measures taken by Latvia to promote and protect human rights, including the legislative amendments that had been made to ensure gender equality and prohibit gender-based discrimination. 97. Brazil acknowledged the steps Latvia had taken to protect privacy and personal data, to provide students with special needs with access to inclusive education and to strengthen the work of the Ombudsman’s Office. 98. Bulgaria noted with appreciation the legislative, institutional and policy measures that had been taken to implement the recommendations that Latvia had accepted during the previous review, particularly in the areas of gender equality and children rights. 99. Canada acknowledged the steps Latvia had taken regarding the restitution of property to religious organizations and supported adherence to the international standards set forth in the Terezin Declaration. 100. Chile congratulated Latvia for the progress it had made during the reporting period, particularly the adoption of the law granting automatic citizenship to children of non-citizens. 101. China was concerned about violations of the rights of ethnic minorities, in particular Roma. It noted that racial discrimination against Asians and people of Asian descent had increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. 102. Costa Rica commended Latvia for the progress made in upholding human rights, especially in the areas of inclusion, equality, education and access to justice. 103. Côte d’Ivoire congratulated Latvia on the progress it had made in strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights, particularly in the fight against trafficking in persons. 104. Cuba thanked Latvia for the presentation of its national report to the third cycle of the universal periodic review and wished it success in implementing the recommendations. 105. Cyprus commended Latvia for its commitment to human rights and welcomed the progress achieved in integrating minority groups and the measures taken to widen the scope of action by civil society organizations. 106. Czechia welcomed the establishment of a national monitoring mechanism and the amendments to the Labour Law that strengthened the equal treatment of women and men in employment. 107. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea took note of the national report of Latvia for the third cycle of the universal periodic review. 108. Denmark commended the adoption of the law on the termination of granting noncitizen status to children and of legislative measures to combat gender-based violence. It remained concerned about the underreporting of hate crimes. 109. The Dominican Republic noted with satisfaction the headway Latvia had made in implementing the recommendations received during the previous cycle of the universal periodic review and wished it success in the current cycle. 8