Human rights council adopts universal periodic review outcomes of Lesotho, Kenya and Armenia

28 September 2020

The Human Rights Council in a midday meeting today adopted the Universal Periodic Review outcomes of Lesotho, Kenya and Armenia.

Refiloe Litjobo, Permanent Representative of Lesotho to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said the recommendations had allowed Lesotho to take a critical look at the promotion and protection of human rights in the country. He praised the impartiality that characterized this review. He emphasized that certain recommendations had already been implemented, in particular the one aimed at combatting trafficking in human beings, especially women and girls.

The Vice-President of the Council informed that out of 211 recommendations received, 168 enjoyed the support of Lesotho and 43 were noted.

The Council then adopted the Universal Periodic Review outcome of Lesotho.

Speaking in the Universal Periodic Review of Lesotho were Gabon, India, Libya, Malawi, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Senegal, Sierra Leone and South Africa.

Also taking the floor were the following non-governmental organizations : International Volunteerism Organization for Women, Center for Global Nonkilling, Action Canada for Population and Development, and Rencontre africaine pour la défense des droits de l’homme.

Cleopa K. Mailu, Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations Office at Geneva, acknowledging the importance of access to justice, said the Kenyan Government had created four additional high courts in the counties and introduced a digital case management system to eliminate long-standing problems in the justice system, including missing files, delays, lack of accountability and lack of transparency.

The Vice-President of the Council informed that out of 319 recommendations received, 263 enjoyed the support of Kenya and 56 were noted.

Speaking in the Universal Periodic Review of Kenya were Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Uganda, UN Women, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Afghanistan and Algeria.

Also taking the floor were the following national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations : Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, Edmund Rice International Limited, Istituto Internazionale Maria Ausiliatrice delle Salesiane di Don Bosco, East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, Center for Global Nonkilling, Article 19 - International Centre Against Censorship, Rencontre africaine pour la défense des droits de l'homme, International Humanist and Ethical Union, Federation for Women and Family Planning, CIVICUS - World Alliance for Citizen Participation, and Alliance Defending Freedom.

The Human Rights Council then adopted the Universal Periodic Review outcome of Kenya.

Andranik Hovhannisyan, Permanent Representative of Armenia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that because of the resumption of hostilities in the region, the Government was not able to participate actively in this review today. Armenia was convinced that the Universal Periodic Review should not be abused to score political points. Its objectives and principles, notably as regard avoiding confrontation and non-politicization, should be upheld.

The Vice-President of the Council informed that out of 252 recommendations received, 239 enjoyed the support of Armenia and 13 were noted.

Speaking in the Universal Periodic Review of Armenia were Egypt, Ethiopia, Greece, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Namibia, Nepal, Philippines, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Sri Lanka and Syria.

Also taking the floor were the following national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations : the Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, International Catholic Child Bureau, Action Canada for Population and Development, Human Rights House Foundation, CIVICUS - World Alliance for Citizen Participation, International Fellowship of Reconciliation, Conscience and Peace Tax International, and Center for Global Nonkilling.

The Human Rights Council then adopted the Universal Periodic Review outcome of Armenia.

The webcast of the Human Rights Council meetings can be found here. All meeting summaries can be found here. Documents and reports related to the Human Rights Council’s forty-fifth regular session can be found here.

The Council will next meet this afternoon at 4 p.m. to hold its annual panel discussion on the integration of a gender perspective throughout its work and that of its mechanisms, with a focus on gender and diversity : strengthening the intersectional perspective in the work of the Human Rights Council.

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For use of the information media; not an official record