HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ADOPTS OUTCOMES OF THE UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW OF NEW ZEALAND, AFGHANISTAN AND CHILE

The Human Rights Council this morning adopted the outcomes of the Universal Periodic Review of New Zealand, Afghanistan and Chile.

Amanda Ellis, Permanent Representative of New Zealand to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that the Universal Periodic Review had allowed it to take stock of challenges that remained. New Zealand had accepted 121 recommendations had been unable to accept 34 recommendations. Recommendations spanned a wide range of human rights issues but clear themes emerged, namely family violence, women and children’s rights, and addressing inequalities. All of these were areas where the Government was actively taking steps to address challenges and was committed to do more.

The New Zealand Human Rights Commission said in a video message that the Universal Periodic Review process had been constructive and well noted for the high level of civil society engagement. The Commission would now work with civil society organizations and the State to develop and implement the Second National Human Rights Plan for New Zealand and the Commission was optimistic that progress could be made before the third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review.

During the discussion, speakers commended New Zealand for taking measures to curb domestic violence and violence against women and children, its continued efforts to promote socio-economic rights, efforts to build a multicultural society based on tolerance and diversity, and school programmes committed to pluralism. New Zealand had accepted the majority of the recommendations received, including those related to improving the situation of persons with disabilities, continued focus on cultural diversity in all schools, and legislation for addressing disparities in health, education, employment and gender equality. New Zealand continued to have high levels of inequalities in health, education, employment and income.

The Council then adopted the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review of New Zealand.

Botswana, Cambodia, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Morocco, Romania, Togo, Viet Nam, Algeria, and Sierra Leone spoke during the discussion on New Zealand.

The following non-governmental organizations also took the floor: Amnesty International, Save the Children International, Action Canada for Population and Development, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Lesbian and Gay Federation of Germany, and Sudwind.

Presenting the report of Afghanistan, Mohammad Qasim Hashimzai, Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Justice of Afghanistan, said that the report was the result of a participatory and comprehensive process, and had been a useful experience for Afghanistan. Out of the 224 recommendations made by participating delegations, the Government had accepted 189, rejected 12 and 23 recommendations were still under consideration. Their implementation required constant effort and concrete actions. A number of activities had already been undertaken and would strengthen existing initiatives and implementing frameworks for this purpose. These recommendations had been shared with the Human Rights Support Unit, a department in the Ministry of Justice responsible for implementing human rights recommendations.

The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission said that the Universal Periodic Review was a worthwhile mechanism for States to present achievements made as a result of their human rights efforts. The Commission welcomed the commitment of the Afghan Government to the process and the progress made in the areas of health, education and the establishment of democracy. The Commission stressed the continued need for a firm commitment by the Government to overcome challenges such as insecurity, the poor state of the rule of law and the economy. The participation of women was required in all processes in the country. There was still a long way to go to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights in Afghanistan.

Delegations noted the openness and transparent approach of Afghanistan in its Universal Periodic Review process. Speakers also acknowledged its efforts in the area of the rights of children and women and welcomed measures undertaken in the areas of health, poverty reduction, trafficking in children, the situation of internally displaced persons, and combating terrorism and insecurity. Some expressed concern about Afghanistan’s limited implementation of its law on the elimination of violence against women and the rejection of recommendations concerning the establishment of a moratorium on the death penalty. Speakers recognised Afghanistan’s strong commitment to continue to improve the human rights situation in the country, despite the numerous challenges faced.

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

Participating in the discussion were Malaysia, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Sudan, United Nations Children’s Fund, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Cuba, Viet Nam, Yemen, and Algeria.

Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Action Canada for Population and Development (in a joint statement), and Verein Sudwind Entwicklungspolitik also took the floor.

Marta Maurás Pérez, Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that for the Government, human rights and democracy were the fundamental principles and key elements of the State’s work. Chile’s commitment was evident in the acceptance of 180 out of 185 recommendations made, and in the high level of compliance with recommendations previously accepted. The Government had engaged in fundamental reforms in the field of education. The rights of indigenous persons were a key plank of State policies and a new relationship with indigenous peoples had to be based on both individual and collective rights. Concerning violence and discrimination against women, Ms. Maurás Pérez highlighted the desire to defend and further implement the sexual and reproductive rights of all people in the country.

The National Institute of Human Rights of Chile welcomed the political will of the Government of Chile to accept most of the recommendations made. Chile needed to ratify pending international treaties and to speed up legislative processing. There was also a need for a national plan and better of inclusion of human rights education, as well as a standing body to deal with pending cases and the provision of legal advice for victims of torture. On access to justice, this was a priority. Reforms had to be introduced to the anti-terrorist law and to regulate, under law, the right to demonstration and the use of force had to be regulated in practice, in line with international standards.

The Council then adopted the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review of Chile

During the discussion, speakers welcomed the constructive dialogue and engagement of Chile with the Universal Periodic Review and the ongoing commitments of the Government to the promotion and protection of human rights, including the recent creation of the National Council of Children, the establishment of the national human rights institution in compliance with the Paris Principles, and the implementation of housing policies which would reduce the vulnerability of the people. Delegations welcomed Chile’s support for most of the recommendations presented during this Universal Periodic Review cycle and recognized Chile’s commitment to implementing recommendations from its first cycle.

Taking the floor in the discussion were Angola, Cuba, Morocco, Senegal, United Nations Children’s Fund, Venezuela, Viet Nam, and Algeria.

The following NGOs also participated: International Lesbian and Gay Association, Amnesty International, Istituto Internazionale Don Bosco (in a joint statement), and Auspice Stella.

The Council is holding a full day of meetings. At noon, the Council will continue with its general debate on the promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, and on the reports of the Secretary-General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and her Office. Time permitting, it will then start its general debate on human rights situations that require the Council’s attention.

Consideration of Outcome of Universal Periodic Review of New Zealand

AMANDA ELLIS, Permanent Representative of New Zealand to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that it had heard a clear message in the Universal Periodic Review process: that it had made human rights progress to be proud of, but that more had to be done. The Universal Periodic Review had allowed it to take stock of the challenges that remained. It was an opportunity to understand which recommendations civil society regarded as priorities. Inter-agency consultations also took place, to consider each of the recommendations received, which were then considered at the ministerial level. All the recommendations made were welcomed. New Zealand had accepted 121 recommendations but been unable to accept 34 recommendations. Recommendations spanned a wide range of human rights issues but clear themes emerged, namely family violence, women and children’s rights, and addressing inequalities. All of these were areas where the Government was actively taking steps to address challenges and was committed to do more. The recommendations would be a significant basis for ongoing cooperation with New Zealand’s Human Rights Commission.

New Zealand Human Rights Commission said in a video message that the Universal Periodic Review process had been constructive and well noted for the high level of civil society engagement. The Commission would now work with civil society organizations and the State to develop and implement the Second National Human Rights Plan for New Zealand and the Commission was optimistic that progress could be made before the third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review.

Botswana applauded New Zealand for taking measures to curb domestic violence and violence against women and children. As a diverse and democratic country, Botswana was confident that New Zealand would continue to work to improve the enjoyment of human rights for its people, and also on the international level.

Cambodia congratulated New Zealand on the progress achieved and welcomed its continued efforts in ensuring the socio-economic rights of its people. Cambodia was pleased that New Zealand had accepted the majority of recommendations received, including those related to improving the situation of persons with disabilities.

Côte d’Ivoire said that it was part of the troika and thanked New Zealand for having taken into account recommendations made and answers provided during this session. It encouraged New Zealand to pursue its fruitful cooperation with international human rights mechanisms and wished it every success in the implementation of the recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review.

Mali congratulated New Zealand for the quality of the statement and its cooperation with the Universal Periodic Review mechanism during the entire process. It noted with satisfaction that many recommendations made had been accepted and wished New Zealand every success in the implementation of the recommendations that were accepted.

Morocco congratulated New Zealand on its programmes and policies which sought to build a multicultural society based on tolerance and diversity, and school programmes committed to pluralism. Morocco welcomed the acceptance of the majority of the recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review, including one by Morocco on continued focus on cultural diversity in all schools.

Romania appreciated the way in which New Zealand had conducted the whole Universal Periodic Review process and the extent of the interagency coordination as well as the consultations with civil society, both before and after the interactive dialogue, and the acceptance of most of the recommendations. It wished New Zealand good luck with the implementation of recommendations made.

Togo welcomed the commitment of New Zealand to the Universal Periodic Review mechanism and took note of the measures taken to implement the recommendations coming from the first cycle and wished it all the best for the implementation of the recommendations received during the second cycle.

Viet Nam welcomed the acceptance of a great number of recommendations, including those made by Viet Nam on enhancing the legislation for addressing the challenges and disparities in health, education, employment and gender equality, especially for vulnerable groups of women, children, migrants, and ethnic and indigenous peoples in the country.

Algeria welcomed the acceptance by New Zealand of the recommendation to enhance economic, social and cultural rights for its people, particularly in the areas affected by the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, and said that natural disasters represented an additional challenge to the promotion and protection of human rights.

Sierra Leone said that the rights of indigenous people were one area of concern expressed by a number of delegations during the Review. Sierra Leone noted with satisfaction the acceptance of all the recommendations related to indigenous peoples. It was also pleased to note that recommendations relating to overseas development assistance were accepted.

Amnesty International welcomed the acceptance of recommendations to incorporate human rights commitments into domestic law. However, New Zealand continued to have high levels of inequalities in health, education, employment and income. There was deep concern at the rejection of recommendations to provide greater legal protection of economic, social and cultural rights within the Bill of Rights.

Save the Children International welcomed the acceptance of recommendations relating to children’s rights. However, evidence pointed to some teachers not having the skills or knowledge to teach children with disabilities. The Government was called upon to ensure that children with disabilities, their families and schools, were given adequate support and resources to enable those children could go to school.

Action Canada for Population and Development said that the reform of the New Zealand law was required to improve women’s health, increase their reproductive choice and remove the stigma surrounding abortion. New Zealand should provide unhindered access to safe abortion services and remove existing legal and administrative barriers.

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom remained deeply concerned about the lack of full protection for human rights under the current constitutional arrangement, which was particularly harmful for hapu and iwi Maori, and urged New Zealand to begin the process of constitutional change that would give full effect to the Treaty of Waitangi and to New Zealand’s obligations under international instruments.

Lesbian and Gay Federation of Germany, speaking in a video message, expressed disappointment that no recommendations had been made based on its extensive submission to the Universal Periodic Review process. It asked about the timeframe for the consultations with the Federation on the issues raised in the submission and whether they would be included in New Zealand’s national human rights plan.

Verein Sudwind Entwicklungspolitik said that although New Zealand had accepted some recommendations on the rights of immigrant children and elders and withdrawn the reservation on Article 2 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Government had lost the good possibility to accept the Czech Republic’s recommendation not to concede asylum seekers’ transfer to detention centres in third countries.

The Chair of the Human Rights Council noted that 121 recommendations had enjoyed the support of New Zealand, while 34 had been noted.

AMANDA ELLIS, Permanent Representative of New Zealand to the United Nations Office at Geneva, in concluding remarks, thanked everyone for the contributions and their views. Important issues had been raised and New Zealand would continue to bear in mind the views of all its international colleagues in its ongoing work. Part of the advantage of the Review process continued to be the internal domestic discussion it generated. Points raised today would be part of an ongoing discussion. On the issue of ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as stated under recommendation 15, New Zealand was committed to the implications of signing and ratifying the protocol. The work was just beginning for New Zealand, as it shifted to the implementation stage. As had been highlighted in the discussion, implementation was what counted.

The Council then adopted the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review of New Zealand.

Consideration of Outcome of Universal Periodic Review of Afghanistan

MOHAMMAD QASIM HASHIMZAI, Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Justice of Afghanistan, recalled the recent presidential and provincial elections, which showed the political will and commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights. The Universal Periodic Review report was the result of a participatory and comprehensive process, and had been a useful experience for Afghanistan. Out of the 224 recommendations made by participating delegations, the Government had accepted 189, rejected 12 and 23 recommendations were still under consideration. Their implementation required constant effort and concrete actions, and a number of activities had already been undertaken and would strengthen existing initiatives and implementing frameworks for this purpose. These recommendations had been shared with the Human Rights Support Unit, a department in the Ministry of Justice responsible for implementing human rights recommendations.

Concerning the review of legislation on honour killings, Mr. Hashimzai noted that the responsible committee for reviewing the penal code was engaged in its revision and the incorporation of provisions from human rights conventions Afghanistan was a party to. Regarding the revision of the death penalty, as an Islamic country, the death penalty could be imposed only in rare occasions and for heinous crimes and, in practice, the President had imposed a kind of moratorium on the death penalty. Mr. Hashimzai also referred to measures addressing the protection of human rights defenders, peace activists and female politicians, transitional justice, the prevention of torture, and the protection of religious minorities. Gradual improvement would require cooperation and participation from the Government, civil society, and the international community. Afghanistan would continue to give high priority to promoting and protecting human rights.

Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission said that the Universal Periodic Review was a worthwhile mechanism for States to present achievements made as a result of their human rights efforts. The Commission welcomed the commitment of the Afghan Government to the process and the progress made in the areas of health, education and the establishment of democracy. The Commission stressed the continued need for a firm commitment by the Government to overcome challenges such as insecurity, the poor state of the rule of law and the economy. The participation of women was required in all processes in the country. There was still a long way to go to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights in Afghanistan.

Malaysia appreciated the openness and transparent approach of Afghanistan in its Universal Periodic Review process and acknowledged continuous efforts in the area of the rights of children and women. Malaysia was pleased to note Afghanistan’s strong commitment to continue its efforts to improve the human rights situation in the country, despite the numerous challenges it was facing.

Morocco said that the openness of Afghanistan in the Universal Periodic Review process was an indication of its commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights and welcomed the measures it had undertaken in the areas of health, poverty reduction, trafficking in children and measures to improve the situation of internally displaced persons. Morocco welcomed the interest of Afghanistan to create the High Council for Peace and the adoption of electoral reform.

Sri Lanka appreciated the constructive engagement of Afghanistan with the Universal Periodic Review. It was pleased to note that two of its recommendations enjoyed support. Sri Lanka commended and welcomed progress made by Afghanistan in combating terrorism and insecurity, as well as the commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights and moving towards nation-building.

Sudan welcomed the commitment of Afghanistan shown in the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review, with acceptance of many recommendations made. It understood the position expressed on reservations concerning some recommendations, particularly when it came to the death penalty, and other recommendations that did not take into account the culture of Afghanistan.

United Nations Children’s Fund said more than half of Afghan women were married before they reached 15 years of age. It was pleased with the acceptance of recommendations on child marriage and called for an increase of the legal age of marriage for girls to 18 years. The Government was called upon to allocate sufficient resources for reintegration and protection programmes for children affected by the armed conflict.

United Arab Emirates expressed appreciation for the positive steps taken by Afghanistan towards the promotion and protection of human rights and the presentation concerning its efforts to give impetus to the human rights system. Despite the difficulties Afghanistan was facing, the delegation was optimistic that it would make progress in the consolidation of the rule of law and good governance, including through institutional and legal reform.

United Kingdom welcomed Afghanistan’s cooperation with the Universal Periodic Review process and welcomed their acceptance of recommendations to repeal articles of the penal code concerning honour killings. The United Kingdom remained concerned about violence against women and human rights defenders, and welcomed the holding of recent elections. It was essential that all parties acted in the interest of national unity.

United States welcomed Afghanistan’s acceptance of recommendations to investigate allegations of human rights violations by Afghan security forces, as well as those concerning the full implementation of the violence against women law. The United States was disappointed that Afghanistan had not accepted the recommendation to eliminate criminal prosecution for women who had escaped their homes.

Uzbekistan welcomed the constructive participation of Afghanistan in the Universal Periodic Review. Uzbekistan was pleased to note the adoption of a great number of recommendations, including those made by Uzbekistan on the improvement of mechanisms for the provision of legal assistance and the coordination mechanisms with national human rights organizations.

Cuba recognized the efforts by Afghanistan to address the challenges it faced in the promotion and protection of human rights, especially in the difficult security situation that it faced, which was a consequence of foreign occupation and the long-lasting war. Cuba welcomed the continuing efforts by Afghanistan to guarantee health care and adopt measures to protect children and young people, particularly with regard to their right to education.

Viet Nam was happy to see Afghanistan’s engagement in the promotion and protection of human rights, and in particular in the Universal Periodic Review process. Viet Nam welcomed the acceptance by Afghanistan of a great number of recommendations, including the one made by Viet Nam to adopt legislation that would make the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals possible.

Yemen expressed appreciation for the achievements of Afghanistan in the field of human rights. The efforts being undertaken for the promotion and protection of human rights, despite difficulties faced, were valued. Yemen commended progress made and recommended that the Council adopt the outcome, and wished Afghanistan success.

Algeria said that most of the recommendations received had been accepted and Afghanistan’s commitment was welcomed. Algeria wished Afghanistan every success in implementing these recommendations. It also welcomed Afghanistan’s acceptance of one of its recommendations and recommended that the Universal Periodic Review outcome of Afghanistan be adopted by the Council.

Human Rights Watch appreciated steps taken by Afghanistan, in line with many accepted recommendations, to address violence against women. However, there were significant gaps and few cases were prosecuted. Impunity remained a major concern. To date, there had been no prosecution of any Afghan official in any case of torture and meaningful steps had to be taken in this regard.

Amnesty International regretted Afghanistan’s rejection of a moratorium on the death penalty. Notwithstanding Mr. Qasim’s remarks this morning, Amnesty stressed that trials in Afghanistan fell below international standards of fairness which might lead to innocent people being executed. Measures to prevent violence against women must be consolidated and the Government should do more to implement its law on the elimination of violence against women.

Action Canada for Population and Development, in a joint statement, welcomed Afghanistan’s willingness to eliminate violence against women of girls. Efforts to eliminate discrimination against women would have an impact on women’s and girls’ enjoyment of rights, including sexual and reproductive rights. Action Canada called on the Government to address the situation of persons living with HIV/AIDS and their exclusion from health services.

Sudwind regretted that Afghanistan had not accepted recommendations concerning a moratorium on the death penalty. Many citizens of Afghanistan were executed in other countries, such as Iran, after judicial processes which did not meet international standards. Sudwind called on Afghanistan to reconsider these recommendations before the next Universal Periodic Review cycle.

The Chair of the Council said Afghanistan had received 224 recommendations, of which it had accepted 189 and noted the others.

MOHAMMAD QASIM HASHIMZAI, Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Justice of Afghanistan, in his closing remarks, addressed concerns by some delegations about the implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and said that torture was prohibited in the national law. The Special Rapporteur on torture was scheduled to visit the country in November and hopefully he would dispel the concerns expressed. Mr. Hashimzai reiterated the firm commitment and the political will of the Government to the human rights conventions, the evidence of which was the establishment of the independent national human rights commission, the independent judiciary and media and the legislation guaranteeing free speech. Mr. Hashimzai noted the difficult situation in the country and the fear caused by the widespread terrorism and said that despite the fact that much of the Government’s resources and attention were devoted to fighting terrorism, the progress made in the area of human rights was significant.

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

Consideration of Outcome of Universal Periodic Review of Chile

MARTA MAURAS PEREZ, Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that for the Government of Chile, human rights and democracy were the fundamental principles and key elements of the State’s work. All this was reflected in public policies adopted and applied in the country. Chile’s commitment could be seen in the acceptance of 180 out of 185 recommendations made, and in achievement of a high level of compliance with recommendations accepted in the first Universal Periodic Review cycle. The Government had committed itself to ratifying the whole body of United Nations human rights treaties. The Government had engaged in fundamental reforms, the most emblematic related to education, driving forward actively with civil society and students themselves. This reform aimed to bring about a structural shift at all levels of education to guarantee equality and social inclusion. The rights of indigenous persons were a key plank of State policies and it was believed that a new relationship with indigenous peoples had to be based on both the individual and collective rights of these peoples.

There was also a need for a new gender agenda. Chile was concerned about violence and discrimination against women and in this regard the desire to defend further the sexual and reproductive rights of all people in the country was highlighted. The Universal Periodic Review process had been driven by an increasingly empowered civil society, which was not only necessary to carry out reforms but also to assess commitments already shouldered.

National Institute of Human Rights of Chile, welcomed the political will of the Government of Chile to accept most of the recommendations made. Chile needed to ratify pending international treaties and to speed up legislative processing. There was also a need for a national plan and better inclusion of human rights education, as well as a standing body to deal with pending cases and the provision of legal advice for victims of torture. On access to justice, this was a priority. Reforms had to be introduced to the anti-terrorist law and to regulate, under law, the right to demonstration. The use of force had to be regulated in practice, in line with international standards. There was concern about the lack of autonomy and equality for women.

Angola welcomed the effective commitment shown by Chile with regards to the promotion and protection of human rights, its accession to a number of conventions, and its cooperation with the Council. Angola welcomed Chile’s acceptance of several recommendations, including those submitted by Angola concerning the intensification of efforts in the fight against discrimination against women

Cuba noted Chile’s efforts to modernise and strengthen its institutional human rights infrastructure; and highlighted the adoption of legislation against discrimination and progress made in the distribution of land to indigenous populations. Cuba had made two recommendations concerning policies and norms concerning security forces and concerning the rights of indigenous peoples, hoping they would contribute to moving towards better protection standards.

Morocco commended Chile for its attachment to universal values and principles of human rights and the adoption of a law on the trafficking of human beings, its commitment to integrate migrant workers, and the ratification of the Convention against Enforced Disappearances. Chile had accepted most of the recommendations, including those submitted by Morocco regarding human rights training for law enforcement officials and strengthening the participation of women in political life.

Senegal welcomed the constructive dialogue and engagement of Chile with the Universal Periodic Review and the ongoing commitments of the Government to the promotion and protection of human rights. Senegal hoped that Chile would spare no efforts in the implementation of the recommendations made to improve the lives of its population, particularly women and children.

United Nations Children’s Fund welcomed the recent creation of the National Council of Children. This was an important step towards the consolidation of national policy for the protection of the rights of children and adolescents which took into account the standards set by the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The United Nations Children’s Fund encouraged Chile to explicitly prohibit in legislation all forms of abuse against children, including corporal punishment inside the home.

Venezuela highlighted the establishment of the national human rights institution in compliance with the Paris Principles and the implementation of housing policies which would reduce the vulnerability of the people. Venezuela recognized the commitment of the Government to the implementation of the recommendations from its first Universal Periodic Review cycle and recommended the adoption of the outcome of Chile.

Viet Nam noted with appreciation the acceptance of two recommendations it had made on strengthening the state of laws and good governance, and on continuing current national strategies and programmes for enhancing employment opportunities, social welfare, education and the health care system, especially for families in rural areas, migrants and indigenous and tribal people in Chile.

Algeria welcomed efforts made by Chile at the normative and institutional levels to promote and protect human rights. Algeria welcomed the efforts made to promote the enjoyment and protection of economic, social and cultural rights, as well as the acceptance of recommendations it had drawn up. Algeria wished Chile every success in implementing the recommendations.

International Lesbian and Gay Association said that 27 people had been killed in Chile because of their sexual orientation or identity. It was not sufficient to accept recommendations. Measures had to be taken to really address discrimination and to ensure that rules were upheld. Some improvements had been seen, but there was a need for greater promotion of diversity.

Amnesty International recalled concern about impunity for violations committed during the dictatorship and called on the Government to ensure justice and accountability. Amnesty International called on Chile to include a definition of torture in its legislation in accordance with the Convention against Torture in order to prevent repetition of such crimes; and to align law enforcement with international standards and ensure that crimes committed by military and police personnel were tried in civilian courts.

Istituto Internazionale Don Bosco, in a joint statement, expressed concern about the unequal access to quality education and persisting discriminatory practices that excluded children and adolescents from various school levels according to their socio-economic levels. The Institute made a number of recommendations, including the creation of an ombudsman office for children and the removal of obstacles impeding effective access to justice for children.

Centro Regional de Derechos Humanos y Justicia de Genero welcomed Chile’s acceptance of the majority of the recommendations, particularly those concerning the rights of women, the decriminalization of abortion, the rights of victims of violations during the dictatorship, and the rights of indigenous people and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons, children, migrants and persons with disability. The Centre called on Chile to ensure compliance with accepted recommendations and to implement a national plan with permanent implementation and follow up mechanisms.

Auspice Stella said that one of the key problems in Chile was the lack of policies to respect the rights of the Mapuche people, including the failure of the Government to provide development and restitution for ancestral lands. The anti-terrorist law had criminalized the struggle of the Mapuche and opened the space for violence again communities that struggled for restitution of their land or who opposed large infrastructure projects which affected the environment.

The President of the Council said that of the 185 recommendations received, 180 enjoyed the support of Chile and the rest were noted.

Chile in concluding remarks said that most of the statements had recognized that Chile had accepted most of the Universal Periodic Review recommendations and the efforts undertaken in the first 100 days of the Government. The Government was the first to recognize gaps and pending issues affecting its full compliance with the recommendations; at the same time, the political commitment of the Government to use legislative and administrative means and cooperate with civil society organizations to implement the recommendations was quite clear. It was important to highlight the adoption of a range measures that would bring about major education reform in the country, which would fill the remaining gaps in Chile.


MARTA MAURAS PEREZ, Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations Office at Geneva, in her closing remarks, thanked all the delegations and non-governmental organizations for their statements which provided new insights and said that those would be taken into serious consideration by Chile.

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


For use of the information media; not an official record

HRC14/076E