The Universal Periodic Review of Mauritius was a great occasion to recall that the progress of life is also the progress of the protection of life by legal means. The work for the UPR of Mauritius was very pervasive as it highlighted the capacity of an Army-less State to rise from a country in development to become a developed country. It also highlighted, in the report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the links between peace and human rights. And it brought through our final oral statement, the possibility to pinpoint some legal issues in need of improvements.
Our recommendations on the Genocide and enforced disappearances conventions, on the death penalty (abolished in practice), on violence prevention, on democratic participation and on some late human rights reporting were upheld by other States and presented to Mauritius. The ones on peace infrastructures, policies and treaties were mentioned in the High Commissioner’s report. As such all our recommendations have been addressed or mentioned a way or another.
The ones Genocide and late reporting were accepted by Mauritius, while the ones on death penalty, violence prevention and democratic participation were partially accepted (because limited in scope by the countries presenting them). The one on the ratification of the convention on Enforced Disappearances Convention was sadly rejected. We regretted it in our oral statement (videos below).
Our work on the links between peace and human rights will still needs to be deepened. We are working at it.
Our submission :
The documents of the OHCHR for Mauritius’s third UPR (report of ofther stakeholders concerns CGNK, other NGO’s submissions can be accessed through the small « foot note like link : 3 »).
The pre-session (an informal session where countries and diplomat prepare the UPR).
The text of our presentation (there is a mistake therein, with our apologies, as assisted suicide is not tolerated in Mauritius).
The PowerPoint presentation (same) :
The report of the pre-session on CGNK’s webpage
Our coordinator with the Ambassador of Mauritius :
Our oral Statement at the Human Rights Council UPR’s approval :
A video of this approval by the Council is available here. CGNK speaks at chapter 15 (36’10).
Finally, the Office of the High Comissionner did us a little treat by quoting CGNK in its one minute extract of the approval of the UPR of Mauritius