The Human Rights Council this morning adopted the outcomes of the Universal Periodic Review of Sweden, Grenada, Turkey and Kuwait.

At the beginning of the meeting, the President of the Council, Joachim Ruecker, said that 26 June was the International Day of the Victims of Torture and reminded that the United Nations Voluntary Fund provided support to 60,000 victims of torture….

Mehmet Ferden Carikci, Permanent Representative of Turkey to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that the Universal Periodic Review process, inherently conducted in a constructive spirit and a non-politicized manner, presented a unique opportunity for a constructive improvement in the field of human rights for United Nations Member States. The recommendations based on an objective assessment of the human rights situation of the State under review could be an important tool to contribute in a constructive manner to each State’s human rights agenda. Turkey received 278 recommendations, of which it supported 215 and considered that some of those were already implemented; the acceptance of roughly 80 per cent of the recommendations was proof of Turkey’s strong commitment to the Universal Periodic Review.

In the ensuing discussion, speakers welcomed the 2010 constitutional amendments which introduced positive changes in respect of women, children, the elderly and persons with disabilities. The Judicial Reform Package aimed to strengthen the independence of the judiciary, expand the scope of freedoms and ensure improvement in the freedom of expression, while the Democratization Package provided for a wide-spectrum of human rights and freedoms. Delegations appreciated efforts to strengthen human rights institutions in the country and welcomed the establishment of the Ombudsman and the national human rights institution. The persistence of politically motivated arrests, prosecutions and harassment of journalists, and violence and discrimination against women were cited as issues of concern, and speakers called on Turkey to adopt comprehensive legislation to combat discrimination.

Speaking were Honduras, India, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, and Qatar. Also speaking were the following non-governmental organizations: Verein Sudwind Entwicklungspolitik, Minority Rights Group, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (joint statement), Syriac Universal Alliance, Action Canada for Population and Development, Article 19-International Centre against Censorship, Gazeteciler ve Yazarlar Vakfi, Organisation pour la Communication en Afrique et de Promotion de la Coopération Economique Internationale, Africa Culture International, Jubilee Campaign, and Amnesty International.

The Council then adopted the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review of Turkey.

Excerpt from original report

Download the Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review: Turkey, A/HRC/29/15

Download the Working Group Report addendum, A/HRC/29/15/Add.1