Statement at the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
Adoption of the UPR report on the Equatorial Guinea
Delivered by
Lucas Jorge Olo Fernandes, Lusophone Platform of Human Rights
Mr President,
We thank CIVICUS for assisting the Commission of Jurists, the Lusophone Platform of Human Rights, Centro de Estudios e Iniciativas para el Desarrollo, ONG – Cooperación y Desarrollo (CEIDGE) and EG Justice to address the council.
The 1996 NGO legislation has not been amended as committed in the last UPR cycle. Independent organisations such as the Commission of Jurists, the LGBTQ rights organisation SPDM or CEIDGE are still awaiting their registration or have been suspended in processes without guarantees. In fact, new tax legislation is worsening the ability of NGOs to work freely in the country.
The new penal code provides penalties of up to 76 thousand dollars for publishing information affecting the “dignity of the authorities”. New proposed legislation includes even higher penalties and up to 25-year prison sanctions for similar offenses.
According to the national statistics institute data, 20% of those who died in 2022 were under 5 years old. Prevalence of HIV/AIDS is at around 8% according to UNAIDS.
While the government has taken the positive step of eliminating Female Genital Mutilation, this is not a common practice in the country. Menstrual poverty affects around 75% of women and girls in rural areas and 45% in urban areas.
Finally, in 2021 hundreds of migrants were expelled and denounced mistreatment by police and long detention periods, a practice that was raised in the previous cycle
Recommendations:
- Eliminating restrictive legislation against NGOS
- The elimination of any new legislation affecting freedom of expression.
- Register NGOS that are awaiting registration and reinstate CEIDGE.
- Invest funding in education and health that allows free health and education.
- Provide sanitary kits in schools around the country.
- Respect the rights of the migrants in the country.
We thank you.
