By Politico staff Writer
The United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group for the third time on Wednesday, 12 May 2021 will review Sierra Leone’s Human Rights Record in a meeting that will be webcast live.
Sierra Leone is one of 14 States to be reviewed by the UPR Working Group during the ongoing 38th session from 3rd to 14 May 2021. Sierra Leone’s first and second UPR reviews took place in May 2011 and January 2016, respectively.
The documents on which the reviews are based are national report information provided by the state under review.
Speaking at the review session of Namibia and Niger on the 4th of May 2021, Sierra Leone's Ambassador to Switzerland and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland Ambassador, Dr Lansana Gberie thanked Namibia and Niger for their comprehensive national reports and wished them a successful UPR outcome.
According to a report from the Information Attaché to Geneva, Switzerland Mohamed Sheriff, Ambassador Gberie commended Namibia for repealing outdated and discriminatory laws, enacting the Domestic Violence Act, the Child Care and Protection Act, and enhancing access to justice through the provision of legal aid at the district level.
The report added that the Ambassador welcomes the enactment of the Judiciary Act to strengthen the independence of the Judiciary in Namibia. While recommending for the government of Namibia to review laws and conventions relating to rights of children to harmonize them with international human rights standards, and to consider ratifying the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all migrant workers and their family members. He also call for Niger to strengthen the capabilities of the National Human Rights Commission by allocating the necessary financial, human, and material resources needed.
Ambassador Gberie commended Niger for developing a national framework to promote human rights, including the National Human Rights Commission and the national mechanism for the prevention of torture.
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