The Philippines described as a “big victory” the recent decision made by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to overwhelmingly adopt Manila’s human rights report card.

In a statement from New York where he is attending the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano welcomed the final adoption of the Third Philippine Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Report by the 47-member body, saying it affirms Manila’s commitment to its human rights obligations.

According to Secretary Cayetano, the final adoption of the Philippine UPR Report during the 36th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva “demonstrates that the Philippines has nothing to hide with its human rights record.”

The UPR of the UN Human Rights Council is the world’s principal peer review mechanism where member-states come together to discuss their human rights policies and plans and exchange views on how to improve human rights through international cooperation. The process is transparent and member-states interact as sovereign equals.

Cayetano said the Philippines will remain resolute in its respect for and protection of human rights as it strives to improve the lives and welfare of each and every Filipino by protecting them from the scourges of drugs and criminality.

At the same time, he said the Philippines remains fully committed to meeting its human rights obligations in compliance with the Constitution and international human rights obligations.

“The dignity of the Filipino people is uppermost among our priority concerns,” Cayetano said.

The adoption is basically that part of the UPR process where member-states confirm which recommendations to accept from those made when then Senator Cayetano presented the Philippine UPR report before the Council in Geneva in May.

According to the Philippine Mission to the UN in Geneva, the Philippines fully accepted recommendations that pertained to the sustainable protection of family and society in general, such as the preservation of the sanctity of family life, effective advocacy of economic and social rights through development, mitigation of the adverse effects of climate change, eradication of poverty, and improvements to access to health care and public education.

The Philippines also accepted recommendations aimed at enhancing the current capacities of the country to protect the right to life, liberty, and property through the rule of law and accessibility of victims to justice in pursuit of anti-abortion initiatives, eradication of all forms of slavery, counter-terrorism efforts, and the anti-illegal drugs campaign.

The rest of the recommendations that were fully accepted were those that would strengthen international cooperation with human rights mechanisms for the protection of the most vulnerable sectors in Philippine society and the formulation of the national human rights action plan.

Forty-two (42) States are reviewed each year during three Working Group sessions dedicated to 14 States each. The third cycle of the UPR covers all UN Member States and will run until 2021.

The Philippines was one of the first 47 members of the then newly created HRC in 2006. The Philippines is currently serving its 4th term as member in the Human Rights Council.

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Roy Mabasa

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