Geneva, 29th April 2011 - For more than 17 years the Seychelles has been avoiding the scrutiny of the United Nations Human Rights Committee by refusing to submit its initial report, due in August 1993.
On 21st March 2011, the UN Human Rights Committee therefore reviewed the Seychelles' in the absence of a State report. The State also failed to take advantage of the Human Rights Committee's invitation to attend the session and engage in a dialogue with the Committee members. The Committee therefore discussed the human rights situation on the Seychelles in a completely private meeting. The Committee's recommendations (Concluding Observations) are private and confidential, pending responses from the State.
It is crucial that the refusal to cooperate with the Human Rights Committee be raised during the Universal Periodic Review of the Seychelles on 4th May 2011. The State Party must be reminded that in ratifying the ICCPR it undertook to submit regular reports and to cooperate with the Human Rights Committee. Failure to do so not only prevents the effective monitoring of the situation with regard to civil and political rights but is also, in itself, a violation of article 40 of the ICCPR. "Furthermore the flagrant disregard for one provision must raise doubts about the State's commitment to implementing the other articles of the ICCPR, making it even more important that the situation be reviewed," said Peggy Brett from the Centre for Civil and Political Rights.
In the context of the review by the Human Rights Committee a coalition of national NGOs produced a report in cooperation with the Centre for Civil and Political Rights. The report is available from the Centre for Civil and Political Rights' website.
For more information see the Centre for Civil and Political Rights website or contact us.
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