Action Canada for Population and Development commended Senegal for approving access of young people to sexual and reproductive health services

They welcomed measures taken to enhance gender equality as well as the provision of universal healthcare cover

However, maternal mortality remained high in part due to unsafe abortions, with structural barriers for women to access abortion rights.

Association of World Citizens welcomed Senegal’s steps to abolish the death penalty, as well as steps taken to combat child y should be eliminated in law and practice in Fitness dating app order to fulfil Goal 5 of the 2030 Agenda.

Solidarity Switzerland-Guinea welcomed Senegal’s adoption of a constitution by referendum in 2016, which included rights for a clean environment and better sharing of land.

MARTIN PASCAL TINE, Director of Legal and Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad of Senegal, expressed gratitude to all the countries that had made comments, statements and recommendations during Senegal’s Universal Periodic Review. He recalled that the Government was attached to social peace and mutual respect. The highest authorities in the country had expressed their wish to have dialogue with all parts of society in order to build a strong and peaceful society. Senegal had made progress on the universal healthcare coverage, prison conditions, the right to education, freedom of the press, and the rights of persons with disabilities and of women. Senegal believed that human rights were key for the achievement of peace and stability.

Recommendations 130 61-62 on sexual orientation and gender orientation were rejected as they were deemed completely inappropriate given that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people were able to participate in society without discrimination

JEAN-CLAUDE GAKOSSO, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and of Congolese Abroad of the Congo, welcomed the Congo’s third Universal Periodic Review cycle, and reiterated its commitment to the mechanism. The Congo had examined all 194 recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review, accepted 188 and noted 6. The contributions of civil society and other non-governmental organizations were seriously considered and noted in the addendum of the report. The recommendations that the Congo was not in a position to implement or was unable to implement for legal reasons were discussed in some detail.

Recommendation dealing with international human rights obligations called on the Congo to extend open invitations to all Special Procedures, but given the openness and willingness of the Government to cooperate with all international mechanism and special mandate holders, as exemplified by the large number of positive visits detailed in the addendum, this recommendation was not considered justified. Recommendation on adultery was not adopted as rescinding this law could lead to destabilization due to traditional attitudes. Recommendation 130. 97 on freedom of opinion was also rejected as the Congo had already abolished all kinds of censorship and those incarcerated had committed crimes against common law and were not detained for dissenting opinions. Recommendation to establish an independent commission of enquiry for justice, truth and reconciliation was rejected as the Congo had already received the technical support of Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to set up a commission of enquiry and setting up a competing commission was not justified.

The accepted recommendations were not referred to in a detailed fashion but some brief comments on some key themes were made. The Congo had launched legislative ratification for the reduction of cases of statelessness. During the One World Congress on the abolition of the death penalty, the Congo had committed to ratify the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to abolish the death penalty. A Network of Women Leaders Congo Branch was set up with the support of UN Women, and progress was made in the economic empowerment of women, including draft laws that were in place to support small and medium enterprises. The Congo committed to presenting a mid-term report on its progress by 2021, to share best practices with other States and to promote the Universal Periodic Review mechanism.