UN Human Rights Council 48: Universal Periodic Review Adoption – Sierra Leone

Thank you, Madam President.

The United Kingdom welcomes Sierra Leone’s engagement with the UPR and its determination to make progress on human rights. We support the Government’s commitment to the development of a National Human Rights Action Plan and hope that this will lead to further progress. The UK reiterates its commitment to supporting Sierra Leone on advancing human rights and democracy.

The UK is pleased that Sierra Leone fully supports our second recommendation, and commends the vote of the Parliament to abolish the death penalty. This is an important step forward on democratic freedoms and rights in Sierra Leone and we urge the President to sign this bill into law as soon as possible.

While commending the current judicial reforms, we regret that Sierra Leone did not accept recommendations to end FGM. We are concerned that this does not support Sierra Leone’s agenda for protecting women’s rights, and we hope Sierra Leone will reconsider these recommendations, and join the global movement to end FGM.

Finally, we encourage the Government and the Human Rights Commission to submit a mid-term report outlining Sierra Leone’s progress on recommendations ahead of the next UPR.

Thank you.