Human Rights Council adopts outcomes of Universal Periodic Review on Micronesia and Mauritania

Human Rights Council
MORNING

18 March 2011

The Human Rights Council this morning adopted the outcomes of the Universal Periodic Review on Micronesia and Mauritania.

Jeem Lippwe, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Federated States of Micronesia to the United Nations in New York, said the challenges faced in addressing human rights were often exacerbated by the negative impact of climate change which threatened the right to be secure and the right to life. The Government supported the recommendations to ratify and accede to the core human rights instruments, including the establishment of the national human rights institution and the passage of laws on domestic violence. Concerning the recommendation to remove reservations made under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Government efforts would be directed toward removing those reservations, but Micronesia remained cognizant of the unique customs, culture and traditions of the Micronesian people. The Government would continue to place education and access to health at the centre of its development efforts, together with the rights of women, children and persons with disabilities. The Federated States of Micronesia’s limited capacity and resources made it necessary to seek support from development partners and the international community to implement the laws and carry out the activities related to the report.

In the discussion on Micronesia, speakers said Micronesia had accepted 70 out of 73 recommendations in the Universal Periodic Review which signified the true commitment of the country to human rights. Speakers appreciated the acceptance by Micronesia of the ratification of the core human rights instruments to which the country was not a party, women’s participation in public life and reducing violence against women. The strategic development plan of the Federated States of Micronesia had indentified gender as one of its priority areas and speakers were encouraged by the possibility of legislation to allocate reserved seats for women in the national congress and the inclusion of gender identity as grounds for discrimination. Speakers recognized the challenges for a small island state dealing with climate change and extreme meteorological phenomena and urged Micronesia’s development partners and the international community to provide assistance during the implementation process.

Speaking in the general debate on the Universal Periodic Review of Micronesia were representatives of Cuba, Algeria, New Zealand and Morocco. The World Association for the School as an Instrument of Peace and United Nations Watch also took the floor.

The Council then adopted the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review on Micronesia.

Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Khattra, Commissioner for Human Rights, Humanitarian Action and Relations with Civil Society of Mauritania, reaffirmed that Mauritania would continue to work for the promotion and protection of human rights. After a comprehensive review of 139 recommendations, Mauritania had accepted 88. The Government was working in cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and judicial bodies and institutions of civil society to draft national action plans. Of the remaining recommendations on trafficking of persons, discrimination against women, the rights of the child and the rights of disabled persons, 14 were accepted and only four rejected. Mauritania reiterated its commitment to abide by the provisions in the international instruments they had ratified and the Government would continue its positive interaction with the Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review.

In the discussion on Mauritania, speakers commended the delegation of Mauritania for the transparency and openness that had characterized the Universal Periodic Review process and said the acceptance of the majority of recommendations reflected the Government’s commitment to working with human rights mechanisms. Speakers welcomed the acceptance of recommendations on the abolition of the death penalty and on raising the role of women in society. Speakers highlighted the Government’s global strategy for good governance, the fight against waste, the fight for financial transparency and efforts made in the fight against slavery and the reintroduction of refugees back into society. However some speakers, noting that Mauritania still suffered from the psychological aftermath of slavery, urged the Government to follow through with a prompt and full implementation of the recommendations to end slavery. The presidential elections in 2009 allowed the international community to see the progress made in the promotion and protection of human rights and in the development of the institutional and legal framework. A speaker urged the Government to complete the process of withdrawing its general reservation to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination.

Speaking in the general debate on the Universal Periodic Review of Mauritania were representatives of Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Morocco, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Yemen, Djibouti, Iraq and Nigeria. Sudwind, Action Internationale pour la Paix et le Développement dans la Région des Grands Lacs, Comité International pour le Respect et l’Application de la Charte Africaine des Droits de l’Homme et des Peuples, Rencontre Africanie pour la defense des Droits de l’Homme, Amnesty International, and International Humanist and Ethical Union also took the floor.

The Council then adopted the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review on Mauritania.

The next meeting of the Council will be at 3 p.m., when it is scheduled to consider the Universal Periodic Review outcome on the United States before holding a general debate on the Universal Periodic Review.

Consideration of Outcome of Universal Periodic Review on Micronesia

JEEM LIPPWE, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Federated States of Micronesia to the United Nations in New York, said that the recent disaster in Japan was for Pacific and small island states yet another grim reminder of their vulnerabilities to natural disasters and the impact of climate change. The challenges faced in addressing human rights were often exacerbated by the negative impacts of climate change which threatened their rights to be secure, to live and to exist. Remoteness and isolation added another layer of impediments to efforts to provide services to citizens scattered on tiny atolls. Many challenges faced in addressing human rights were due to limited capacity and resources, rather than to lack of regard for law and human dignity. Micronesia supported many of the recommendations made by countries, but was mindful of its limited capacity and resources necessary to implement the laws or carry out the activities. The Government supported the recommendations to ratify and accede to the core human rights instruments, to establish the national human rights institution, to pass laws on domestic violence, to continue to develop advocacy campaigns to raise awareness of the rights of women, and to adopt legislation against child exploitation and sexual abuse.

Concerning the recommendation to remove reservations made under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Micronesia said that the Government’s effort would be directed toward removing those reservations, but it remained cognizant of the unique customs, culture and traditions of the Micronesian people. Since Micronesians lived in a traditional society where families and extended families were part of solutions to problems, Micronesia said that it could not support the recommendation for the establishment of separate homes for children. The Government would continue to put the right to education and access to health at the centre of its development efforts, together with the rights of women, children and persons with disabilities. Environmental protection was another important area as people of Micronesia relied heavily on fragile ecosystems for their livelihoods and sustenance. The Government would therefore continue playing its role in protecting the terrestrial and marine resource areas. In order for the Federated States of Micronesia to meet the various recommendations, it would be necessary to seek support from its development partners and Micronesia would be calling for support from the international community for the next four years. In closing, Micronesia said that while the review had been a welcome exercise, it had its own difficulties and challenges, mainly due to capacity constraints and limited financial resources which impacted the ability to effectively complete the necessary reports or send delegates to attend this review.

JUAN ANTONIO QUINTANILLA (Cuba) said Cuba appreciated that the recommendation made by Cuba to continue programmes and measures to ensure education and the right to health were adopted by the Government of Micronesia. Cuba encouraged Micronesia to continue working on human rights and said it was up to the international community to support Micronesia in the implementation process.

MOHAMMED SALIM SAMAR (Algeria) said Micronesia had accepted 70 out of 73 recommendations it had received and this reflected the commitment of the Government to the promotion of human rights. Algeria appreciated the acceptance by Micronesia of the three recommendations submitted by the Algerian delegation in favour of the ratification of the core human rights instruments to which the country was not a party, women’s participation in public life and reducing violence against women. Algeria called on the international community and relevant United Nations agencies to provide Micronesia with the needed assistance upon its request and in implementation of the accepted recommendations. Algeria recommended the adoption of the outcome on Micronesia.

MICHAEL MCBRYDE (New Zealand) welcomed the delegation of the Federated States of Micronesia today at the adoption of its Universal Periodic Review. The Micronesian delegation had engaged actively in the process and made some commitments in areas of interest to New Zealand. These included a statement that the strategic development plan of Micronesia had indentified gender as one of its priority areas; there was a possibility of legislation to allocate reserved seats for women in the national congress; and on the subject of gender–based violence, the delegation would seek assistance from donor partners in crafting relevant legislation. New Zealand welcomed these responses and acknowledged at the same time the limited nature of the resources at the disposal of Micronesia as a small island state.

MOHAMMED ACHGALOU (Morocco) welcomed the Deputy Permanent Representative of Micronesia. The Universal Periodic Review process of Micronesia signified a true commitment of the country to human rights as a small island state dealing with climate change and extreme meteorological phenomena.
Morocco encouraged Micronesia to continue their efforts and recommended the community of nations to establish partnerships with Micronesia in providing assistance as requested by the Government. Micronesia was symptomatic of the issue of environmental and climate change and Morocco thanked Micronesia’s efforts in terms of human rights training and education.

JOSHUA COOPER, of World Association for the School as an Instrument of Peace, said that the role of civil society was important to realise rights and the World Association for the School as an Instrument of Peace believed that Micronesia should immediately extend an invitation to the United Nations Special Procedures to assist in important human rights issues raised during the Universal Periodic Review. The World Association for the School as an Instrument of Peace was dedicated to education, specifically human rights education, and noted the literacy rates in Micronesia in excess of 90 per cent, with girl children rates slightly higher than male. The Pacific was the only region without a human rights mechanism and the World Association for the School as an Instrument of Peace hoped that Micronesia would participate in setting one up in the future. The right to self determination was significant in relation to the growing threat of climate change, which was diverting funds from social services to adaptation and mitigation campaigns.

ANNE NADLER, of United Nations Watch, welcomed Micronesia’s commitment to work on 70 of the 73 recommendations on the promotion and protection of human rights in Micronesia, including the enjoyment of all human rights, elimination of discrimination against women and girls; inclusion of gender identity as grounds for discrimination; provision of adequate protection against sexual violence, and others. Micronesia was one of the few countries that had shown the courage, conviction and resolve to uphold principles of universality, objectivity and non-selectivity in their votes at the United Nations and United Nations Watch commended it.

JEEM LIPPWE, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Federated States of Micronesia to the United Nations in New York, thanked the delegates and the non-governmental organizations for their recommendations. The Government of Micronesia accepted the comments on its Universal Periodic Review and would do its best to work towards achieving them. Any assistance that could be provided would be most appreciated.

The Council then adopted the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review on Micronesia.

Consideration of Outcome of Universal Periodic Review of Mauritania

MOHAMED ABDALLAHI OULD KHATTRA, Commissioner for Human Rights, Humanitarian Action and Relations with Civil Society of Mauritania, reaffirmed that Mauritania continued to work for the promotion and protection of human rights. After a comprehensive Universal Periodic Review, 139 recommendations were submitted to Mauritania, 88 of them were accepted immediately and they were working through workshops in cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, various several parties, the judiciary, and institutions of civil society to draft national action plans. The remaining recommendations asked them to withdraw some reservations to fight trafficking of persons and fight against discrimination against women and make national legislation in accordance with the international criteria concerning the rights of the child and the rights of disabled persons and some recommendations regarded the abolition of the death penalty. Of the 88 left, 14 were accepted and only 4 were rejected. In conclusion Mauritania reiterated their continued work to abide with the provisions of the international instruments that they had ratified and they were ready to continue a positive interaction with the Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review and to listen to the comments regarding the remaining recommendations.

MOHAMMED SALIM SAMAR (Algeria) thanked Mauritania for their work in the context of the Human Rights Council and for the positive interaction with the Council during the Universal Periodic Review. Algeria welcomed the acceptation of the four recommendations it had submitted, including on the abolition of the death penalty and on raising the role of women in society. Algeria hoped that the efforts by Mauritania would lead to the reaffirmation of human rights in the country. Algeria commended Mauritania for the holding of elections in the country.

AHMAD FAHAD ALMAREK (Saudi Arabia) thanked Mauritania for the comprehensive statement on the position of Mauritania on the recommendations by the Working Group during the Universal Periodic Review. Its acceptance of the majority of the recommendations reflected the attachment to working with human rights mechanisms and to cooperating with the international community for the promotion and protection of human rights in Mauritania. Mauritania reaffirmed its commitment to work on the promotion and protection of human rights for its people despite the challenges and difficulties it faced. Saudi Arabia valued the pursuit of the plans for the promotion and protection of human rights and wished Mauritania all success.

MOHAMED SAUD AL-RAWAHI (Oman) thanked Mauritania for their report and for the strong cooperation of the delegation in producing the national report. Mauritania’s candid and interactive dialogue during the Universal Periodic Review process showed the Government’s commitment to human rights. The Government’s acceptance of a great number of recommendations showed it was attached to the promotion and protection of human rights.

MOMAR GUEYE (Senegal) congratulated Mauritania on its report and noted that the Government had accepted three recommendations set forth by Senegal during the Universal Periodic Review. Senegal noted the acceptance of the recommendations for the eradication of slavery and against the trafficking of persons. Senegal would like to wish to Mauritania all success in the implementation of the recommendations and in achieving the country’s development objectives.

Mr. U.L.M. JAUHAR (Sri Lanka) said Sri Lanka had taken note of the report of the Universal Periodic Review Working Group on Mauritania and the cooperation extended by the delegation in the Universal Periodic Review Process was noteworthy. The consultation followed by relevant stakeholders in preparation of the national report and the responses provided by the delegation of Mauritania was in keeping with the expectations of the Universal Periodic Review process. Sri Lanka welcomed the initiation of procedures aimed at the withdrawal of its general reservation to the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and cooperation with the Special Procedures. Sri Lanka commended Mauritania’s access in 2003 to the International Convention on the Promotion of the Rights of All Migrants Workers and Members of Their Families.

BUDOOR ABDULAZIZ AHMED (Bahrain) welcomed the delegation of Mauritania and thanked them for the valuable presentation. The number of recommendations accepted by the Mauritanian delegation demonstrated the positive steps taken by the Government of Mauritania. Bahrain took positive note of the number of recommendations accepted by Mauritania, especially the acceptance of the recommendations coming from Bahrain. They welcomed the political will displayed by the Government and the efforts to combat poverty and unemployment.

SHEIKHA SALMAN AL ZAABI (United Arab Emirates) commended Mauritania for the very positive measures undertaken in the promotion and protection of human rights and in implementation of the recommendations forthcoming from the Universal Periodic Review. The United Arab Emirates was convinced that Mauritania was moving towards consolidation of the rule of law and that the country deserved all possible assistance from the international community, particularly in capacity building and the promotion and protection of human rights. The United Arab Emirates requested the international community to provide the necessary support to Mauritania to meet all the challenges it was facing in the promotion and protection of human rights and in the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals.

MANSOOR ABDULLA AL-SULAITIN (Qatar) said Qatar was pleased to see the serious nature with which Mauritania dealt with the Universal Periodic Review and that it had accepted a large number of recommendations, including those proposed by Qatar. Mauritania had accepted to invite all the necessary Special Procedures and to cooperate with the United Nations. Qatar called on all human rights mechanisms to cooperate and support Mauritania and requested the Human Rights Council to adopt the report on Mauritania. In closing, Qatar wished Mauritania all success.

OMAR HILALE … (Morocco) commended the delegation of Mauritania for the transparency and openness that had characterized the entire process of the Universal Periodic Review. Morocco noted the efforts the Government of Mauritania had deployed to help refugees. Mauritania had been adversely affected by the economic, energy and food crises and still had deployed resources toward human rights. Morocco highlighted the Government’s global strategy for good governance, the fight against waste, the fight for financial transparency and efforts made in the fight against slavery and the reintroduction of refugees back into society.

HAMZA OMER HASSAN AHMED (Sudan) appreciated Mauritania’s acceptance of a large number of recommendations. Sudan looked positively at the democratic process in Mauritania and supported the adoption of the outcome on Mauritania’s Universal Periodic Review. Sudan called on the international community to provide assistance to Mauritania in the follow-up process.

CLARISSE MERINDOL OUOBA (Burkina Faso) congratulated Mauritania for the presentation of their report to the Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review and took note with interest that the Government had begun the implementation of the recommendations received despite the many constraints that the country faced. Burkina Faso appealed to the international community to provide assistance to Mauritania in the implementation process.

STELLA SZONN, of Verein Sudwind Entwicklungspolitik, said that they were deeply concerned about the strong persistence of serious violations of the rights of women and children throughout Mauritania. Gender discriminatory laws, violence against women, corporal punishment of children, domestic slavery and rape were highly prevalent. In order to eliminate the gap between rhetoric and implementation, Sudwind urged the Islamic Republic of Mauritania to: quickly complete the process of withdrawing its general reservation to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women as a matter of urgency; and speed up the adoption of a comprehensive national human rights policy in full conformity with its international and regional human rights obligations, including the criminalization of female genital mutilation and force-feeding.

MAURICE KATALA, of Action internationale pour la paix et le développement dans la région des Grands Lacs (AIPD), commended the Government of Mauritania in making human rights a keystone and noted that Mauritania had ratified key human rights instruments. Concerning the fight against impunity, Mauritania was taking important steps to curb impunity and improve good governance. Mauritania had taken concrete measures to curb slavery and had developed a national plan to fight human trafficking. The presidential elections in 2009 allowed the international community to see the progress made in the promotion and protection of human rights and in the development of the institutional and legal framework.

MALUZA WASILUSDIO, of International Committee for the Respect and the Application of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, congratulated Mauritania on cooperating with international human rights instruments and mechanisms. The determination of the Government was reflected in the establishment of the impressive institutional and legal framework. Strong measures had been taken by Mauritania to combat and eradicate slavery, to promote the status of women, to combat discrimination against women, to combat impunity and others. The attention paid to combating poverty bore witness to the commitment of the Government to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

BIRO DIAWARA, of Recontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l'Homme, said that since Mauritania’s accession to independence, it had never known democracy. They were concerned by the rise in religious fundamentalism in the country which could threaten human rights. Mauritania’s cooperation with mandate holders should continue. Mauritania still suffered from the psychological aftermath of slavery and they encouraged the country to update its reports to treaty bodies and to step up its efforts to eliminate discrimination against women, child labour and forced marriages. The Government should draw up a plan to promote food security across the country.

MARIANNE LILLIEBJERG, of Amnesty International, said the prompt and full implementation of recommendations to end slavery was all the more important in light of a recent case in which three anti-slavery activists were sentenced in January 2011 to a one-year prison term after exposing the case of girls forced to work as slave servants in the home of a female government official. During four research missions to Mauritania since 2008, Amnesty International had collected evidence that torture and other ill-treatment was regularly used by the security forces against individuals in their custody. Amnesty International urged the Government to ensure that all detainees would be brought promptly before a judicial authority with the ability to challenge the legality of their detention.

ROY BROWN, of International Humanist and Ethical Union, welcomed the acceptance by Mauritania of 88 of the 139 recommendations and their claim that a further 24 recommendations had already been implemented or were in progress. Yet, it was clear that despite the law of 2007 there had been little progress regarding slavery and slavery-like practices. International Humanist and Ethical Union was dismayed by Mauritania’s rejection of the recommendations regarding homosexuality and the death penalty. They urged the Government to reconsider its refusal to remove the provisions in the Penal Code that permitted the death penalty for homosexuality, and to ensure that the death penalty was not applied to consensual same-sex relations between adults.

MOHAMED ABDALLAHI OULD KHATTRA, Commissioner for Human Rights, Humanitarian Action and Relations with Civil Society of Mauritania, in concluding remarks thanked all the speakers for what they had said regarding the human rights situation in Mauritania. Concerning the number of recommendations accepted and those they had rejected, in fact they had already sent to the Secretariat their replies with regard to the recommendations accepted and rejected; 88 of the 139 recommendations that were made to them were accepted. Mauritania had explained fully in the document that they sent to the Bureau of the Council the reasons why they did not accept some recommendations. Of the 47 recommendations, the Government accepted the lifting of the general reservation on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and this general reservation would be replaced by specific reservations. Among other recommendations, Mauritania accepted the adoption of prevention strategies that were harmful for mothers and children; the future adoption of a law that criminalized female genital mutilation; and the lifting of a general reservation to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Mauritania had reformed the state of public mediators to guarantee their independence and had implemented a national plan to combat trafficking. In addition it had adopted legislation liberalizing the press and a law that criminalized slavery. The Government was committed to preventing all acts of discrimination against women and girls who were victims of violence. Of the 47 recommendations, the Government had rejected the recommendation on the abolition of capital punishment but had reaffirmed the de-facto abolition. The country was not yet a party to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and the Government did not plan to lift the reservation to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights with respect to freedom of belief and expression.

Other members of the delegation made some clarifications and said that Mauritania had made efforts in their legislation to bring it in line with international norms that Mauritania had accepted and ratified. These efforts had resulted in the unflagging determination to incorporate these international norms in their national legislation and in an increase of the number of institutions established and working on a daily basis to protect human rights. The programme for the eradication of slavery had been established as well as the agreement with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to open an Office in the country which would be helpful to establish the rule of law. On the two points that were mentioned, a non-governmental organization had mentioned the activities that had been undertaken in Mauritania and said that what happened had undermined the situation of slavery. Mauritania said that efforts had been made to combat slavery. Regarding the question on torture, Mauritania recalled the existence of the national human rights commission that was an independent body that had visited detention and police centres and said that the practice of torture did not exist.

Mauritania had become a party to the Convention against Torture and they were working to write a report for this Convention. Another member of the delegation took the floor and said that the question of slavery was a structural issue that could not be resolved once and for all by the Government and the only thing that the Government could do was to accelerate the process of social transformation to allow a real raising of the status of the people that in the past had been affected by slavery.
The problem they faced was also an issue for the former slaves themselves in terms of their living conditions, their resources, their level of education and their access to social services. The State had initiated a programme to eliminate the consequences of slavery. Their country had signed up for all the basic instruments related to family matters in general. Turning to a comment put forward by Amnesty International on the imprisonment of those guilty of slavery activities, Mauritania said that combating slavery was a unanimous idea supported by their country. The information that Amnesty International had was not up to date as the activists were then released. Regarding capital punishment, they reminded that Mauritania was a Muslim country and the rights of homosexual people could not be discussed in their way of thinking and way of life. They did not talk about these issues because it was almost offensive to raise these issues in a Muslim society which subscribed to certain values.

The Council then adopted the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review on Mauritania.

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