UPR Info

The United States is firmly committed to addressing the causes and impacts of climate change. The National Environmental Policy Act requires federal agencies to incorporate environmental considerations in their planning and decision-making processes. The President's Climate Action Plan has committed to cut carbon pollution and other greenhouse emissions, promote renewable energy development and use, cut waste in homes, businesses, and factories, conserve land and water resources, use sound science to manage climate impacts, launch a climate resilience toolkit and climate data initiative, and actively engage in international efforts to address global climate change.

We are committed to equality of opportunity in education and to helping students succeed in school, careers, and life. To help increase educational excellence, support innovation and improvement, and address continuing challenges, ED has dedicated well over $1 billion to early childhood education, and also has launched a number of other programs and initiatives, including the Excellent Educators for All Initiative in July 2014, which directs states to submit plans in 2015 to help ensure that poor and minority children have equal access to experienced, qualified teachers. Also in 2014, we issued guidance to states, school districts, and schools to help ensure that students have equal access to educational resources, and launched the Performance Partnership Pilots program to test innovative, outcome-focused strategies for achieving significant improvements in educational, employment, and other key outcomes for disconnected youth.

We are committed to expanding access to health care to all our citizens and as such, have made efforts to strengthen and protect our social and health care programs: Medicare for the elderly and disabled, and Medicaid for low-income individuals and families. Under the ACA, Medicare beneficiaries have saved billions of dollars on prescription drugs and have seen no increase in rates since 2013. Additionally, Medicare beneficiaries no longer have to pay cost-sharing for preventive services, and nearly nine million individuals have enrolled in coverage in state-run Medicaid programs since October 2013.

The United States is fully committed to ensuring that individuals it detains in any armed conflict are treated humanely. All U.S. military detention operations conducted in connection with armed conflict, including at Guantanamo Bay, are carried out in accordance with U.S. law, international humanitarian law including Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, and other international laws, including the Convention Against Torture, as applicable.

The United States has an unwavering commitment to respect the human rights of all migrants, regardless of their immigration status, and vigorously prosecutes crimes committed against migrants and enforces labor, workplace safety, and civil rights laws. All children have the right to equal access to public elementary and secondary education, regardless of their or their parents' immigration status, and such schools must provide meaningful access to their programs to persons with limited English proficiency, including migrants. In January 2015, we issued guidance to help schools ensure that English learner students can participate meaningfully and equally in education programs and services. Employers may not discriminate against employees or applicants based on their race, color, national origin, or, in certain cases, citizenship status.

We are committed to providing formerly incarcerated people with fair opportunities to rejoin their communities and become productive, law-abiding citizens. To this end, the Attorney General has called upon elected officials across the country to enact reforms to restore the voting rights of all who have served their terms in prison or jail, completed their parole or probation, and paid their fines.

Health - We are committed to eliminating health disparities and promoting health, and we actively enforce federal civil rights laws to help ensure that all people have equal access to health care and social service programs. In 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services launched the United States' first plan to specifically address persistent racial and ethnic health disparities. By law, all persons in the United States, including persons without valid immigration status, are entitled to emergency health services.

Labor and Employment - We are committed to protecting all individuals, including members of racial minorities, from workplace discrimination. From 2011-2013, EEOC received 293,086 individual complaints of discrimination, resolved 320,890 charges, and recovered a total of $1.1 billion for affected employees through the administrative process. Over this three-year period, EEOC filed 603 lawsuits on behalf of individuals subjected to workplace discrimination, resolved 817 such lawsuits, and recovered an additional $173.8 million for affected workers. In 2013, DOJ collected record civil penalties from employers in resolving employment discrimination claims based on citizenship status or national origin, and in 2014, it secured a record amount of back pay for these discrimination victims.

The United States is committed to preventing and effectively prosecuting hate crimes. In 2009, we enacted a powerful new tool, the Shepard-Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which enhanced federal prosecution for violent crimes motivated by religious, racial, or national origin bias and enabled federal prosecution of crimes based on sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and disability. Over the last five years, DOJ has obtained convictions of more than 160 defendants on such charges, a nearly 50 percent increase over the previous five years. DOJ also continues to prosecute other hate crimes, and in 2014 assisted Kansas authorities in the investigation of a fatal shooting at a Kansas City Jewish community center. In January 2015, the FBI began collecting more detailed data on bias-motivated crimes, including those committed against Arab, Hindu, and Sikh individuals.

The United States is committed to supporting tribes' efforts to recover their human remains, sacred and ceremonial objects and cultural property that has been stolen, looted or trafficked.

The United States remains committed to self-determination and self-governance, empowering tribes to make their own decisions about the future of their peoples.

The United States is committed to promoting women's health and eliminating barriers to health-care services. The Government of the United States regularly reviews its policies to take all appropriate measures to improve the health and status of women and girls around the world, including survivors of sexual violence.

For unaccompanied children, the United States is fully committed to holding children only for the shortest amount of time necessary to complete immigration processing and to treating the children with dignity and respect during their time in United States custody.

The United States is fully committed to ensuring that the individuals it detains in any armed conflict are treated humanely in all circumstances, consistent with applicable United States treaty obligations, its domestic law and policy

It has established detailed immigration detention standards and remains committed to preventing abuses regarding detention conditions and bringing to justice those who commit them. More people than ever before are enrolled in alternatives to detention programmes.

The United States is committed to accountability for Homeland Security personnel involved in any wrongdoing or misconduct, including excessive use of force.

The Government was also committed to adopting a law to professionalize the prison service

Panama has committed itself to generating statistics on the situation of persons with disabilities, to guide the drafting of public policies. The delegation also detailed a number of additional measures to ensure respect for the rights of persons with disabilities.

Regarding refugees, the National Assembly passed Law 74/2013 permitting refugees to apply for residence after three years of living on Panamanian soil. The Government has also improved the process for determining refugee status so that it is in accordance with international standards. In addition, the delegation committed itself to the prompt adoption of a decree regulating the mechanism to determine statelessness.

On the issue of trafficking, measures had been taken to ensure the adequate care of victims in the context of judicial proceedings. Also, the number of specialized trainings had increased for staff in the police, the prosecutors' offices, the judiciary, the migration office and the health and education ministries. The delegation committed itself to the prompt adoption of the regulation implementing Law 79/2011, to the provision of a budget to the National Commission against Trafficking in Persons and to the building of a shelter for victims of human trafficking, in accordance with international standards

Panama reiterates its commitment to consulting with disabled persons' organizations and will strengthen the technical and administrative measures in place to ensure the full exercise of this right.

Persons with disabilities constitute one of the country's vulnerable populations. Apart from the first national survey on the prevalence of disability (PENDIS) 2005-2006, no more up-to-date information is available. However, the State reiterates its firm commitment to conducting research that will produce new statistical data and that will inform the development of public policies in that area.

Panama makes a voluntary commitment to obtaining approval for the following pending tasks before the second review cycle midterm implementation assessment: Make the minimum age of marriage the same for both men and women, Establish a national mechanism for the prevention of torture, Adopt a law establishing a comprehensive child protection system, and Set up a shelter for victims of trafficking in persons which will provide basic services such as accommodation, food and health care, as well as specialized interdisciplinary assistance.

Mongolia is committed to strengthen its efforts to investigate all allegations of torture and police brutality. National legislation in force prohibits an arbitrary detention of persons by law enforcement officials as such action has to be approved by the judge. Thus, the recommendation is unacceptable.

The delegation reiterated that torture was a subject of serious concern in Mongolia and acceding to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 2011 was one of many efforts by the Government to abolish all torture cases in the country. There were a total of 14 cases of torture recorded, and as of 2014 two cases had been addressed. Furthermore, the delegation reiterated Mongolia's commitment to incorporating the subject of torture in the educational programme curricular. This provision of torture had already been included for law enforcement officers, however, the curricular for prosecutors should also include the subject of torture.

Although the RMI is committed to implementing the Special Rapporteur's recommendations, inadequate resources have been an impediment in effective implementation.

RMI supports the recommendations and are committed to develop socio-economic strategies and plans. In 2013, the National Strategic Plan (NSP) was developed. It is designed as a framework to coordinate the articulated medium term development goals and objectives of the RMI government at the national level. It covers a three year increment period, starting 2015-2017 and will continually updated in order to meet longer term objectives, especially in regards towards the scheduled completion of The Compact of Free Association, as Amended funding in 2023.

As the drafter of the Majuro Declaration, the RMI remains committed to leading the international dialogue in the effort in reducing the impacts of climate change and pursuing effective adaptation measures.

Replying to the advance questions and recommendations made regarding enforcement of the practice of flogging and of the death penalty, Maldives wished to ensure all partners that it remained committed to strengthening the legislative and judicial framework involved in cases of flogging, informed them that the Government remained dedicated to further strengthening those systems and processes and looked forward to any kind of support from partners. Similarly, with regard to the enforcement of the death penalty, Maldives stated that such punishment would not be resorted to unless it was endorsed by all court tiers and was in line with all regulations and procedures

The Maldives notes the challenges and limitations faced, as a small island developing state and in fulfilling its reporting obligations under international conventions, due to lack of expertise, human resources, among other issues. However, with the limited human resources the Maldives is committed in submitting its initial report under the CAT.