Let’s take a quick look at the UN documentation for the next UK submission to the Universal Periodic Review.
They’ve published three documents: a report submitted by the UK, a compilation of information by the UN Human Rights Office, and a summary of the various submissions by civil society organisations.
Alongside this they’ve published the original submissions.
The UK says it is committed to respecting human rights and upholding its international human rights commitments. But…
… the UK doesn’t plan to ratify the United Nations Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (UNCPPED) or the United Nations Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (UNCRMW). Because UK domestic law already protects these groups, apparently.
Moving on, the UK has ratified the Istanbul Convention. It highlights that Scotland plans to incorporate the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into domestic law.
Paragraph 10 is interesting as it includes commentary on the proposed Bill of Rights, which will, ahem, “continue to give further effect into UK law the rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), with a remedy for a breach of a Convention right available in UK courts.”
It also suggests there’ll be a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. But “Consensus, including between the Northern Ireland parties, is needed before any agreement can be reached on what such a Bill of Rights should include.”
The report next goes on to look at specific issues and characteristics. On non-discrimination against LGBT people in particular, the UK highlights the introduction of equal marriage. It also highlights gender recognition reform in Scotland. And Scotland’s plan to ban conversion therapy.
Before we leave this report, I note that the UK also says it supports a recommendation from the previous UPR, by Spain, to “dedicate more resources to fight against negative stereotypes in the media, against the most affected minority groups (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, Gypsies, Muslims, refugees and persons granted asylum).”
In my next post, I’ll look at the compilation of UN Information…
