Lesotho’s human rights record will be scrutinised for the fourth time by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) during a session in Geneva on Wednesday as part of a global peer review process assessing human rights compliance among UN member states.
The review, to be conducted by the UNHRC’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group, is part of the UPR’s fourth cycle in which nations are expected to report on the implementation of recommendations made during previous reviews and highlight recent human rights developments.
Lesotho was first reviewed under this mechanism in May 2010, followed by subsequent assessments in January 2015 and January 2020.
The UPR Working Group, comprised of 47 member states of the Human Rights Council, oversees the evaluations but all 193 UN member states are eligible to participate.
The review process will draw from three key sources: Lesotho’s national report, assessments by independent human rights experts and treaty bodies, and submissions from civil society organisations and regional institutions.
Leading Lesotho’s delegation is Minister of Law and Justice, Richard Ramoeletsi, who will present the country’s progress and commitments.
The troika of rapporteurs assigned to oversee Lesotho’s review includes Germany, Indonesia and South Africa.
This review forms part of broader efforts to ensure accountability and transparency in human rights practices, with UN member states expected to engage constructively in addressing concerns raised during the session.
JN/APA