By Esther Wright
In Geneva, Switzerland, on the 4th May 2021at the ongoing 38th Session of the Universal Periodic Review held using a combination of in-person and remote participation, Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to Switzerland and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, Dr Lansana Gberie, addressed the Human Rights Council during the UPR Review of Namibia and Niger.
Ambassador Gberie thanked Namibia and Niger for their comprehensive national reports and wished them a successful UPR outcome.
He commended Namibia for repealing outdated and discriminatory laws, enacting the Domestic Violence Act, the Child Care and Protection Act, and enhancing access to justice through the provision of legal aid at the district level.
Ambassador Gberie further added that Sierra Leone welcomes the enactment of the Judiciary Act to strengthen the independence of the Judiciary in Namibia.
The Ambassador recommended the Government of Namibia to review laws and conventions relating to rights of children to harmonise them with international human rights standards, and to consider ratifying the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all migrant workers and their family members.
Ambassador Gberie commended Niger for developing a national framework to promote human rights, including the National Human Rights Commission and the national mechanism for the prevention of torture. He further recommended that Niger strengthens the capabilities of the National Human Rights Commission by allocating the necessary financial, human, and material resources.
Sierra Leone’s human rights record will be examined by the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group for the third time on Wednesday, 12 May 2021 in a meeting that will be webcast live.
Sierra Leone is one of the 14 States to be reviewed by the UPR Working Group during the 38th session taking place from 3 to 14 May. Sierra Leone’s first and second UPR reviews took place in May 2011 and January 2016, respectively.
The documents on which the reviews are based are national report – information provided by the State under review, information contained in the reports of independent human rights experts and groups, known as the Special Procedures, human rights treaty bodies, and other UN entities, information provided by other stakeholders including national human rights institutions, regional organizations, and civil society groups.
