A/HRC/38/6 44. Spain welcomed the commitment of Romania to ensure gender equality and to implement Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and the women and peace and security agenda. 45. The State of Palestine was concerned about racist hate crimes against the Roma and negative stereotypes in public and political speech, despite efforts to combat discrimination. It welcomed the steps Romania had taken regarding business and human rights. 46. Sweden acknowledged the continued work of Romania to fulfil its human rights obligations and encouraged further efforts. 47. Switzerland welcomed efforts aimed at combating segregation in the education system. It noted shortcomings in the fields of adequate housing, education and health care, and the fact that poverty and social exclusion affected a large number of Romanian children. 48. Timor-Leste welcomed the adoption of national strategies on the inclusion of the Roma, on the protection of the rights of children and on mental health. It remained concerned about widespread discrimination against the Roma. 49. Tunisia praised Romania for its efforts to establish an institutional framework for the protection of human rights and for adopting strategies relating to the protection of the rights of children. 50. Turkmenistan noted that the Government had involved civil society organizations in the preparation of the national report. It also noted the national policy on ensuring equality and inclusion of minorities. 51. Ukraine welcomed the steps taken by Romania to ensure that the Romanian Institute for Human Rights was in compliance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles). It also welcomed the constructive approach to the protection of the rights of national minorities through dialogue and cooperation. 52. The United Kingdom welcomed efforts to improve prison conditions, and the ratification of the Istanbul Convention. It encouraged more action on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons. 53. The United States, while commending the commitment of Romania to promoting human rights, expressed concern about legislative amendments that could undermine judicial independence, reports of unfair treatment of religious minorities and insufficient progress in combating discrimination against the Roma. 54. Uruguay, while commending the efforts of Romania to protect the rights of children, hoped that Romania would implement a previous review recommendation on birth registration. It noted the persistence of hate speech against the Roma, discrimination against vulnerable groups and gender discrimination. 55. The delegation of Romania stated that the Government had consolidated a comprehensive system to combat discrimination in line with the standards of the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the European Union. Within the framework of preventive measures, the Government had organized public awareness campaigns and provided training for relevant professionals, including judges, law enforcement officers and public officials. The judiciary had gained substantial knowledge and experience in dealing with cases of discrimination in accordance with international standards. While the number of reported cases had increased, underreporting remained a problem. The legislative and institutional frameworks on combating discrimination had been effective and accessible to victims of discrimination who sought redress. The Government had drafted a national antidiscrimination strategy. 56. Perpetrators of hate speech had been prosecuted and sanctioned, regardless of their background, including their status as public figures. 57. The Government had taken significant steps to ensure the inclusion of children with disabilities in education, particularly by revising the relevant procedure to provide social benefits for children with disabilities when accessing education. The amount of social 6