By Foday Moriba Conteh
During a well-attended Press Conference held at the Human Rights Commission Sierra Leone Conference Hall on Tower Hill in Freetown, the institution on the 26th October 26, 2021, briefed pressmen on the current status of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process.
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process which involves a periodic review of the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States. The UPR is a significant innovation of the Human Rights Council which is based on equal treatment for all countries.
In her address, the Chairperson of Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone, Patricia Narsu Ndanema said that the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was established by the General Assembly Resolution 60/251 on the 15th of March 2006, stating that the same resolution also created the Human Right Council (HRC) which replaced the Human Rights Commission (Commission), stating that the HRC has amongst its functions to review the human rights records of all which includes civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of all 192 member States of the United Nations. This is done in a bid to raise standards on human rights, to which states are accountable every four years.
She maintained that the Commission has consistently produced its own shadow reports and presented same to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, subsequent to the adoption of the Government’s 3rdCycle recommendations at the 48 Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC), furthering that the HRCSL held several regional consultations with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), traditional leaders and other partners on the UPR processes and subsequently followed up and drew the attention of Government on the implementation of recommendations proffered during the 2nd cycle UPR by the State and that it also submitted its Shadow Report following these regional consultations.
“As at 1stOctober 2021, Sierra Leone has been reviewed thrice. The first being in May 2011, the second in January 2016. This year, Sierra Leone went through the 3rdCycle review which was concluded on the 1stOctober 2021 in Geneva, following the adoption of the 3rd Cycle recommendations.
She revealed how the Human Rights Commission also participated and called on Government to treat the recommendations accepted with the utmost seriousness they deserve for the development of the country.
Underscoring some of the recommendations that the Government accepted, which includes the 27 – 45 which highlighted its commitment to support the work of the Human Rights Commission in the protection and promotion of human rights as proffered by 13 countries at the UPR and also its commitment to continue the constitutional review process being one of its voluntary pledges, the Recommendations 1-10 on the abolition of the death penalty (already done), the Recommendation 14-15 on the ratification of the convention on migrant workers and their families, the Recommendation 107-115 noted Government’s acceptance of Freedom of Expression.
This has also been realized following the repeal of Part of the Public Order Act of 1965 etc.
Patricia Narsu Ndanema maintained that although Government noted recommendations 11, 12 13 and 174 to 179 which are meant to improve on the situation of women and girls and address acts of violence such as female genital mutilation, the Government’s attention was drawn to the noted recommendations during the adoption session of the UPR
by the Chairperson to ensure it doesn’t relent in its commitment to the protection of the rights of women and girls which it has over the years progressively realised.
“The Commission also continues to draw the attention of the Government to its voluntary pledges it made to the UPR which includes the review of the provisions applicable to children under the age of 14 in the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2019, the Sentencing Guidelines for Sexual Penetration Cases and related instruments to bring it into line with the Child Rights Act 2007 and international standards on child rights and to implement the decision of Cabinet approving the recommendations made by the Committee on the Justice Cowan Constitutional Review Report and the 2018Government White Paper, and to finalize the Constitutional Review Process.
The Chairperson concluded by calling on the Government to fulfil its commitments made at the UPR adoption process.
