UPR Info

Argentina has initiated the procedure towards the recognition of the competence of the Committee of the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance to examine individual or inter-State communications.

Bahrain affirms that it will include information in its future reports on the outcome of the universal periodic review and its impact on the human rights situation on the ground.

Creation of an effective mechanism to deal with cases of neglect by private sector institutions of workers' housing.

In recognition of the importance of the special procedures and the mechanisms of the Human Rights Council, Bahrain pledges to: - Respond in a timely manner to requests for official visits from special rapporteurs, special representatives, independent experts and working groups. It will develop effective policies and mechanisms to respond to these requests.

Law enforcement agencies will increase the number of training courses and workshops that they run on the protection and promotion of human rights.

Harmonization of domestic law with international human rights norms, amendments to the Criminal Code, adoption of the anti-discrimination law and, promoting the adoption of a law on crimes against humanity with a view to incorporating the provisions of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court

The Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination pointed out that Bahraini law provides no definition of racial discrimination that includes the criteria set out in article 1 of the Convention. The Committee also asked for additional information on housing. The Kingdom of Bahrain will duly include in its next report to the Committee additional information on the follow-up to the Committee's concluding observations and recommendations.

Commitments undertaken to promote the collective rights of afro-Ecuadorian and indigenous peoples, dissemination through a broad process of the outcome of the conference on the elimination of racial discrimination to be held next year in Geneva, adoption of the recommendations made by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people with regard to free and equal access to services in the administration of justice

Bahrain welcomes a visit by the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

In the pledges that it will make to the Human Rights Council during the 2008 elections, Bahrain will confirm its adoption of "good practices".

Submission of a report, during the next review, on the fulfilment of existing voluntary pledges.

With the intention of strengthening the efficiency of the cooperation with the United Nations system and with the view of improving its national policies, Brazil reinforced its commitment to create new tools for the internal monitoring of human rights. This would include a national system of human rights indicators and the elaboration of annual reports on the situation of human rights, taking into account, among other aspects, a follow-up of the UPR exercise.

Human rights training for public civil servants, generating continuous training processes for public officials and officials in the area of justice

Compliance with international obligations, design and implementation of a follow-up system of international commitments

In the area of rights of persons with disabilities, full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the promotion of relevant policies and targeted programmes to provide equal access to services and opportunities to persons with disabilities

Penitentiary rehabilitation: designing a model for social insertion and a model for an infrastructure compliant with human rights standards, building of seven new penitentiary centres based on the model of social insertion

Finland is committed to making the UPR recommendations an integral part of the Government's comprehensive human rights policy report to be submitted to Parliament in Spring 2009. The proactive targets to be set in the report will also address these recommendations

Poland is also committed to continuing actions to reduce poverty and social exclusion, which will remain a priority in our national social policy. Poland indicated that a new national programme on social security and social integration for 2008-2010, now under preparation, will strengthen assistance to families for the purpose of counteracting poverty and social exclusion of children. These actions are meant to equalize the opportunities of families and children, i.e. to eliminate educational deficits and improve access to services that will enable parents to reconcile their professional activities with the upbringing of children. In addition, the national programme will determine specific goals, including, in particular, lowering the poverty index and the index of poverty risk among children to achieve that the following actions will be undertaken by Poland: 1/ Improvement of family incomes 2/ Development of the child day-care service system 3/ Levelling educational opportunities of and support for school-age children from poor Families 4/ Consolidating the system of assistance to families, family counselling, improvement of income support 5/ The development of cooperation with non-governmental organizations will also contribute to the effective combating of poverty and social exclusion

Poland will reinforce actions to implement equal treatment of women and men. A national programme for gender equality for the years 2009-2013 will be prepared, and the draft, on which consultations will be held with social partners and NGO representatives, covers the following areas of action: 1/ Equal economic independence of women and men, including equality in the labour market 2/ Reconciliation of family life and career 3/ Participation in political life and decision-making 4/ Equality in the area of health care 5/ Eradication of all forms of gender-driven violence 6/ Eradication of gender stereotypes, including in schoolbooks and school curricula 7/ Promotion of gender equality in external relations and development policy The action plan for gender equality will reinforce the achievements of the Beijing Platform for Action and relevant international conventions, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. In 2008-2013, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy will carry out two projects involving research, training and promotion. The first one will be devoted to the reconciliation of career and family roles of women and men, and the second will be on the socio-economic activation of women at local and regional levels. In accordance with the draft law on equal treatment, the minister responsible for family matters and equal treatment, using data and analyses from independent research and in conjunction with other relevant bodies, will prepare a national programme against discrimination. The programme will determine adequate measures to: 1/ Raise social awareness of the root causes and effects of discrimination 2/ Counteract violations of the principle of equal treatment 3/ Establish cooperation with relevant social partners involved in implementing equal treatment

Receive special rapporteurs from the Human Rights Council as well as from the African Commission on Human Rights

In the area of women's rights, promotion of democratic governance with equal opportunities for men and women, promoting a life free of violence, through the adoption of measures to prevent, eradicate, criminalize and punish violence against women, implementation of public policies and cross-cutting programmes, and the promotion of legislation to eliminate violence against women and children, development of laws and public policies to prevent and eradicate abuse, harassment and sexual exploitation of women and children, promotion of a gender perspective in the education system and in the implementation of social policies in the formal and non-formal education system, eradication of illiteracy, training of public and judicial officials, and in the criminal process of cases of domestic violence and sexual crimes against women and children

Preventing and combating the crime of trafficking in persons, effective implementation of a national plan of action to combat the crime of trafficking in persons

The delegation stated that Finland was committed to reaching the goal of 0.7 per cent ODA by 2015, as set by the United Nations, and 0.51 per cent ODA by 2010, as set by the European Union.

Poland will strengthen measures to reduce domestic violence. It indicated that current solutions need to be adjusted in light of the insufficient social awareness of the threats domestic violence poses to individuals, families and society as a whole, as well as insufficient assistance to victims of violence. An annual evaluation of the implementation of the National Programme to Counter Domestic Violence for 2006-2016 will constitute the basis for its adjustment to actual needs. Eradication of violence from the family environment can first and foremost be achieved through the implementation of programmes promoting positive methods of childrearing and partnership in the family, some of which are carried out in collaboration with the European Union and the Council of Europe. In 2008 the law against domestic violence and the National Programme to Counter Domestic Violence will be amended, resulting in: 1/ A complete ban on corporal punishment, and financial support for the implementation of projects against domestic violence at municipal level within the framework of the National Programme to Counter Domestic Violence 2/ The introduction of a warrant obliging the perpetrator to leave the house immediately after an incident of violence is reported by the victimThe introduction of cost-free forensic medical examinations

Submit, in 2008, eight reports to United Nations bodies, of which seven to treaty bodies: (i) Fifth and sixth periodic reports on the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), (ii) Third periodic report on the implementation of the International Convention, against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), (iii) Eighteenth and nineteenth periodic reports on the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), (iv) Third periodic report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), (v) Initial report on the implementation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, concerning the involvement of children in armed conflicts, (vi) Third periodic report on the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), (vii) Fifth periodic report on the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

Withdrawal of reservations annexed to the law concerning ratification of CRC, given the evolution of Tunisian legislation and the enactment of new laws promoting the rights of the child

Promotion of human rights within the armed forces, to create human rights awareness programmes, to hold workshops on prevention and eradication of ill-treatment and torture, training on mediation and arbitration, creation of a section within the Ministry of Defence for the prevention and control of corruption with the armed forces

Ratification of the Optional Protocol to CEDAW, which reflects the clear vision of Tunisia and its sustained efforts to further promote women's status and to safeguard and consolidate their rights

Poland will continue to combat and counteract racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and hate crimes. Although these phenomena are not common in Poland, the Government is nevertheless determined to implement a wide catalogue of preventive measures of an institutional, legal and educational nature. Poland will continue implementing and evaluating its Programme for the Roma community, the National Programme against Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance 2004-2009, and the law enforcement officer programme for combating hate crimes. Moreover, the existing network of Human Rights Advisers attached to the Police Commander-in-Chief and Voivodship Police Commanders-in-Chief will conduct ongoing monitoring of incidents, trends and crimes related to discrimination and misconduct of law enforcement authorities. They will also make analyses and elaborate proposals on the improvement of the quality and methods of the work of the law enforcement. It is also planned to create the institution of Human Rights Advisers attached to the Border Guard

Approval of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol