By Jomo Paul
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett says several social ills that would have engaged the attention of the tenth parliament are high on the post elections agenda of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic government.
Birkett, who was at the time addressing media operatives at a post Universal Periodic Review (UPR) press conference from her South Road office on Wednesday, February 04, said many of the important social reforms that would have been piloted by the government will be given due attention in the 11th Parliament.
The UPR is a unique process which involves a review of the human rights records of all UN Member States. It is a State-driven process, under the auspices of the Human Rights Council, which provides the opportunity for each State to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situation in their countries and to fulfill their human rights obligations.
As one of the main features of the Council, the UPR is designed to ensure equal treatment for every country when their human rights situations are assessed.
The commitments made by Guyana include full implementation of the Sexual Offences Act, considerations to abolish the death penalty, same sex marriage and relations, corporal punishment and increasing the age of criminal responsibility among several other social issues.
She said that this was the commitment given when Guyana was the subject of some 143 recommendations by United Nations member states coming out of the UPR in Geneva last month.
“It is our intention to take back these matters to the Parliament following general elections,” said Birkett.
Birkett told the news conference that while extra-judicial killings and torture continue to be of concern to the government, it should be important to note that the State has not been accused of any of these acts.
There was also a commitment to promptly investigate hate crimes based on sexual orientation and consideration will also be given to the establishment of an accredited human rights council.
Further to that, efforts will also be taken by the government to look at existing legislation that criminalizes same sex relations in Guyana.
The Foreign Affairs Minister noted too that “many of the recommendations have deep cultural and societal considerations and will require widespread consultation that will find favour with the majority of persons in society.”
