45th UPR Working Group: Key Highlights

Saudi Arabia kicked off the 45th session of the UPR Working Group receiving a total of 354 recommendations. Key items discussed included protecting women’s rights and participation, the rights of migrant workers, and protecting freedom of expression for journalists and human rights defenders. The rights of children were another point of conversation with states calling for the prohibition of marriage for peoples under 18 and the abolishment of the death penalty, with emphasis on the abolishment of the death penalty for persons under the age of 18.
In terms of progress, Saudi Arabia highlighted its increased measures to ensure the rights of peoples with disabilities in the labor market. A commitment to education fostered the creation of 1,000 educational projects. These projects covered over 700,000 children and reduced the illiteracy rate by 3.7%.

Up next was Senegal, receiving 322 recommendations. The recommendations made focused on strengthening National Human Rights Institutions in line with the Paris Principles, adopting laws to ensure the protection of human rights defenders, and amending Senegalese legislation to criminalize torture. Additional recommendations touched on increasing funding to National Human Rights Institutions and raising climate change awareness by placing early warning systems for extreme weather. The Senegalese delegation highlighted the various programs and plans initiated within the framework of the Plan for an Emerging Senegal (PES) aimed at strengthening social protection, youth employability, women's empowerment, and improving access to basic social services in urban and rural areas, as well as the efforts noted in the fields of health, education, and the management of statelessness cases.

China received 428 recommendations from recommending states. These recommendations focused on ensuring the rights of ethnic minorities, adopting legislation to end discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and protecting journalists, human rights defenders, and lawyers from being targeted for exercising their rights to expression, association, and peaceful assembly. Further recommendations urged China to promote the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), reduce its consumption of fossil fuels, and increase its climate mitigation efforts. China also received recommendations to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), ensure that businesses are respecting human rights, bolster and protect the rights of the Tibetan people, and protect the freedom of religion for Uyghurs.
During the Working Group session, the Chinese Delegation highlighted the development strategy to
alleviate poverty.

To round off day two, Nigeria received 346 recommendations. During its review, Nigeria emphasized its achievements in combatting the use of torture and protecting the rights of children. Nigeria’s Anti-Torture Act highlights the state's zero-tolerance for the use of torture and its Child Rights Act highlights the state’s commitment to defending children’s rights.
Protecting and ensuring the rights of women, combatting trafficking, implementing national strategies to eradicate child labor and forced child marriages, along with decriminalizing same-sex adult relations were among a few of the recommendations given to Nigeria. Other recommendations called for the passing of the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill as well as the establishment of a formal temporary moratorium on the death penalty. In response to the recommendation on forced early marriages, Nigeria stated that its vision for 2030 involves the ending of child marriages.

Mauritius received 303 recommendations. While under review, Mauritius brought attention to its work in improving disability rights through its Equal Opportunity Act and Disability Empowerment Act which aims to eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities.
Among Mauritius’ recommendations were calls to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (CRMW), the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED), and the Second Optional Protocol of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) – which aims to abolish the death penalty. Additional recommendations focused on fostering women’s participation, combatting violence and ill-treatment of persons with disabilities, and enhancing climate change awareness.

Next up, Mexico received 318 recommendations. These recommendations were centered around implementing policies to ensure the rights of migrants, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons, adopting measures to combat violence against women and girls, implementing laws and policies to reduce discrimination towards indigenous peoples and Afro-Mexicans, and protecting the rights of journalists. Further recommendations encouraged Mexico to adopt and implement national policies to eradicate enforced displacements, incorporate additional measures to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities into society, bolster its efforts to combat trafficking, as well as adopt mechanisms for victim identification.
In terms of progress, Mexico’s National Human Rights Program has had great success as the program has contributed to large increases in poverty reduction – 5.1 million people no longer live in poverty. Additionally, the Mexican State had promoted the New Minimum Wage Policy that sought to address the historical debt of dignifying the salary of those workers who earn the least. In 2022, Mexico ratified the Inter-American Convention Against All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

While under review, Jordan received 279 recommendations. Among these recommendations were calls to protect the rights of disabled persons, ensure the implementation of all measures to prevent violence against women and girls, and numerous recommendations to take up a moratorium on the death penalty. Additionally, states recommended that Jordan ratify the ICCPR and the CRMW.  Jordan has taken positive steps to defend digital rights through the Personal Data Protection Act which aims to protect the right to privacy. Legislative amendments have also been put in place to enhance equal opportunities for women and to ensure workplace safety, particularly through defining and penalizing sexual harassment.

Malaysia received 348 recommendations. These recommendations included ratifying the ICCPR, the ICERD, the United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT), and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). States also recommended that Malaysia continue to protect the rights of women, continue to guarantee that human rights defenders can carry out their work without fear, and increase their efforts to raise the minimum age of marriage to 18 years old. Malaysia has implemented efforts to tackle issues such as domestic violence through a multi-stakeholder committee which will address and bring awareness to the issue of domestic violence. In addition, Malaysia revised the Guideline on Handling Domestic Violence Cases. The updated guideline included the introduction of rehabilitation programmes for perpetrators and simplified procedures for Emergency Protection Orders and One-Stop Crisis Centres. In addition, Malaysia had enacted the anti-Stalking Law.

The Central African Republic received 244 recommendations. To improve human rights conditions the Central African Republic has created a 5-year plan that will address economic, social, and cultural rights, civil and political rights, as well as peace, security, and development. While under review, states recommended that the Central African Republic ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, strengthen the National Human Rights Institutions in line with the Paris Principles, adopt comprehensive laws to combat all forms of discrimination towards different ethnicities and religious beliefs, and increase its efforts to ensure the right to freedom of expression for journalists.
In response to the need for improved access to justice, the Central African Republic, in collaboration with MINUSCA and the international community, extended the mandate of the Special Criminal Court. A Joint Unit was formed to swiftly address and combat sexual violence against women and children in conflict settings, ensuring accountability and access to justice.

Monaco received the least number of recommendations coming in at 147. States recommended that Monaco ratify the CPED, the UNCAT, the ICRMW, the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture, and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Recommendations also included the formulation and implementation of comprehensive mechanisms to combat violence, abuse, and child neglect, the elimination of racial discrimination, increased pursuits to improve women’s health, and increased efforts to get women to join the labor market.
In 2020, Monaco adopted a national plan specifically targeting the elderly population. One of the government's primary goal is to enable elderly individuals to remain in their homes for as long as possible. To achieve this, the Monaco Gerontological Coordination Center provides in-home assessments, health evaluations, and implements personalized medical and social assistance plans.

At the 45th session of the UPR Working Group, Belize received 166 recommendations. Belize’s recommendations included establishing a National Human Rights Institution in line with the Paris Principles, ensuring the protection of women against gender violence, enhancing measures to combat gender-based discrimination and ensure equal pay for women, and establishing measures to end child marriage. It was also recommended that Belize ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR. Belize has made targeted efforts to improve the rights of indigenous people and the welfare of prisoners. As part of its comprehensive anti-corruption strategy, in 2020 Belize established, within the Ministry of Public Service, Constitutional and Political Reform, a Good Governance Unit to implement the United Nations Convention Against Corruption. Additionally, in 2023, Belize had launched a corruption sensitization campaign.

Chad received 242 recommendations from recommending states. Among these recommendations were the decriminalization of homosexuality and respect for the rights of LGBTQ+ persons, increased measures to combat sexual and gender-based violence, continuing the fight against poverty, promoting the right to education through affordable educational opportunities, and allowing women and girls access to sexual and reproductive rights including health care. States also recommended that Chad ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR.
Chad has committed itself to promoting the political rights of women in public administration and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities.

The Republic of the Congo received 244 recommendations. These recommendations focused on areas such as improving access to quality health care, improving women’s empowerment and access to formal employment, improving measures to prohibit all forms of torture and gender-based violence, and strengthening legal and institutional frameworks. Additionally, states recommended that the Republic of Congo ratify the CPED and the OPCAT.
To improve the condition of women’s rights, the Republic of the Congo has adopted the Mouébara Law to aid in combatting violence against women.

Lastly, Malta received 226 recommendations at the 45th session of the UPR Working Group. Improving the safety of journalists and freedom of the press, combatting racial discrimination, protecting, and promoting minority rights, decriminalizing the rescue of migrants at sea, and investigating the murder of Maltese journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia, were among the recommendations given to Malta. Further recommendations included ratifying the ICRMW, enabling the establishment of National Human Rights Institutions in line with the Paris principles, and lifting reservations on CEDAW.
To protect the rights of elders, Malta designed a national strategic policy that aims to tackle ageism, ageism with disability, and dementia care. Malta has also set up an anti-trafficking strategy to tackle all forms of human trafficking.