Summary

The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention visited Botswana from 4 to 15 July 2022 upon the invitation of the Government. The Working Group identified positive developments, including the ratification of international human rights instruments, the expansion of the mandate of the Office of the Ombudsman to include a human rights mandate and investigative functions, the development of a national human rights strategy and action plan, the decriminalization of consensual same-sex relations, efforts to make the constitutional review inclusive and to consult with various stakeholders throughout the country and the consistent remission of sentences.