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Human Rights Council – Universal Periodic Review

For use of information media; not an official record

Date: Monday 15 February (afternoon)

Country under review: MADAGASCAR

Concerned country - national report

  • Represented by a 21-person delegation and headed by the Minister of Justice, Mrs. Christine Razanamahasoa
  • National report presented by H.E. Ms. Christine Razanamahasoa

Highlights

  • National Gender Development Action Plan: marriage age raised to 18 and all forms of violence against women incriminated.
  • Launched a project to fight trafficking in persons and sexual tourism.
  • National Plans to combat child labour and all forms of violence against children. Minimum labour age raised to 15 (18 for night labour).
  • Measures aimed at assisting victims of violence.
  • Improved school infrastructure and primary education made mandatory.
  • National Plan to promote girls education.
  • Roadmap to combat discriminatory customary practices such as forced marriage and early pregnancy.
  • Judges made elective.
  • Inquiry into the 2009 repression carried out by the presidential guards.
  • Improved conditions of detention.

Interactive discussion

Number of States taking part in the discussion

  • Member States: 14
  • Observer States: 12

Positive achievements

  • De facto moratorium on death penalty.
  • Adoption of legislation protecting family rights.
  • Plan of Action for education.
  • Ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
  • Ratification of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights.

 
Issues and questions raised

  • Ongoing political crisis.
  • Political control over the judiciary.
  • Corruption.
  • Violence against women.
  • Human trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and children.
  • Child labour.
  • Excessive use of force, illegal arrests and arbitrary detention.
  • Repression of political dissidents and journalists.
  • Enforced disappearances.

Recommendations

  • Pave the way to free and fair elections and return to democratic and constitutional rule.
  • Put an end to impunity and investigate all cases of torture and other human rights abuses.
  • Make torture a criminal offense with specific sanctions.
  • Set up an independent judiciary.
  • Increase efforts to combat all forms of violence against women and children.
  • Enforce policies to stop human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
  • Take measures to ensure freedom of speech and assembly.
  • Abolish the death penalty.
  • Improve conditions of detention and in particular set up detention centres for juvenile offenders.
  • Ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture, the InternationalCovenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

Response of the concerned country

  • Detentions and arrests – People who claim to have been victim of illegal arrest or detention have the right to appeal to the Court of Cassation. 
  • Women’s and Children’s rights – The Criminal Code provides for severe sentences with regard to sexual tourism, human trafficking and child labour. Over the past years, almost 6000 children taken out of work and given support to reintegrate the education system or professional training centres.
  • Torture – Being dealt under the crime of violence against the individual.
  • Freedom of expression– Public meeting prohibited only to avoid subversive acts. Three journalists arrested on the basis of common law offences.

Adoption of the report by the UPR working group scheduled on
Wednesday 17 February, 17:30–18:00

More information