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Jan 29, 2015 News
Due to blizzard conditions in the United States, Presidential Advisor Gail Texiera and Legal Advisor Damone Younge were unable to attend the
Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva.
According to Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, only the Foreign Minister managed to make the trip to Switzerland for the event which entails an examination of Guyana and other nations’ report of the set of rights, treaties and conventions that have been signed on to, or subscribed.
The report, Dr. Luncheon said, addresses not only compliance but also recommendations that had arisen in its previous reports when Guyana last presented its case in 2010.
The Cabinet Secretary explained that Guyana’s Foreign Minister presented this country’s report. “That engagement allows members of the international community, nation states, participating parties, NGOs – international and local, to indeed join in the review of the government’s reports, which spans a period from our last review, to October or November of 2014. That outcome is actually broadcast live. Transcripts are formally available within 48 hours”.
It was explained that once the report is acceptable to all, it is then submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Guyana will meet the Council in June of this year to confirm mutual satisfaction and Guyana’s official report to the UPR would then be available publicly.
Having obtained some reports on the proceedings, Dr. Luncheon said that some issues raised by countries which accused the government of certain alleged violations, were addressed by Guyana’s Foreign Minister.
Commenting on allegations of extra judicial killing, he said, “Essentially when established as having occurred, the law takes its course. When established as not having occurred, the security forces, the officers essentially would go “scot-free”.
The UPR is a mechanism of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC) that emerged from the 2005 UN reform process. Commonly referred to as the UN-UPR, it was established by the General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 3 April 2006. The UN-UPR periodically examines the human rights performance of all 193 UN Member States.
It is intended to complement, not duplicate, the work of other human rights mechanisms, including the UN human rights treaty bodies. This is the first international human rights mechanism to address all countries and all human rights. The Working Group on the UPR, which is composed of the HRC’s 47 Member States and chaired by the HRC President, conducts country reviews. (GINA)
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