485. The Permanent Representative of the Philippines, in her concluding remarks, said that it was an honour to be one of the first countries to go through the universal periodic review process. It had been an important learning experience. The recommendations would be used to strengthen the national institutions and policies of the Philippines aimed at bringing better and fuller protection of human rights for all Filipinos. The Philippines had listened to all stakeholders and would keep in mind their suggestions when strengthening and addressing human rights issues in the country. Thanks went to the troika members and secretariat for their support and patience throughout the process, as well as to the national human rights institution, to all non governmental organizations and members of civil society for their comments and suggestions.
486. The Permanent Representative congratulated the Council on the successful conduct of the universal periodic review. Its positive atmosphere and outcome showed that it was possible to discuss and analyse country situations in a constructive and cooperative manner. More importantly, through the universal periodic review, they had seen that all countries, regardless of the level of development, demography, or geography, faced similar challenges in effectively implementing human rights obligations.
487. All countries needed the support of an enabling international environment conducive to the responsible promotion and protection of all human rights for all peoples. Human rights were the universal responsibility and heritage of the Philippines.
488. Sixty years ago, Member states, through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, pledged themselves to achieve, in cooperation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and acknowledged that a common understanding of these rights and freedoms was of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge. The Philippines believed that the universal periodic review helped bring the international community closer to that common understanding of both the cause and challenge of human rights. The review process contributed to the realization of more constructive and cooperative international engagement on human rights, as embodied in General Assembly resolution 60/251 and the institution-building package which all delegations in Geneva had worked so hard on last year. It also perhaps brought closer the vision of the original drafters of the Universal Declaration, in which human rights would exacerbate divisions in an already much divided and conflicting world, and bring nations closer together in a common purpose to uphold the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of each and every individual.
489. In conclusion, the Permanent Representative expressed the Philippines’ continuing strong support for the universal periodic review and was confident that it could further contribute to the effective implementation of human rights standards on the ground, where it mattered most, as all countries sought to ensure greater enjoyment of human rights of their peoples.
Algeria
490. The review of Algeria was held on 14 April 2008 in conformity with all the relevant provisions contained in Council resolution 5/1, and was based on the following documents: the national report submitted by Algeria in accordance with the annex to Council resolution 5/1, paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/1/DZA/1); the compilation prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/1/DZA/2); and the summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/1/DZA/3).
491. At its 16th meeting, on 10 June 2008, the Council considered and adopted the outcome of the review on Algeria (see section C below).
492. The outcome of the review on Algeria is constituted of the report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (A/HRC/8/29), together with the views of Algeria concerning the recommendations and/or conclusions, as well as its voluntary commitments and its replies presented before the adoption of the outcome by the plenary to questions or issues that were not sufficiently addressed during the interactive dialogue in the Working Group.
1. Views expressed by the State under review on the recommendations
and/or conclusions as well as on its voluntary commitments
493. The delegation of Algeria paid a tribute to the troika composed of Senegal, the Philippines and Uruguay and thanked all those who had shown interest in Algeria’s report.
494. As the Minister for Foreign Affairs, who had personally headed the delegation during the presentation of Algeria’s report, had emphasized, Algeria was aware that it still had a way to go and needed to improve its performance in a number of areas. Algeria was resolutely trying to do that, and it was all the more determined to do so in the light of the constructive discussions that had taken place in the Working Group, with all participants demonstrating a genuine desire to cooperate in order to help all States, from North and South alike, do better in the field of human rights. By not lapsing into outright indictments or preaching, as the former Commission had sometimes done, the Council had given new impetus to the promotion of human rights.
495. Algeria’s commitment to the universal periodic review exercise was reflected in its immediate acceptance of nearly all - 17 out of 20 - of the recommendations that had been formulated: the recommendations that had been accepted fell within the ambit of national efforts to consolidate and protect human rights and promoted the development and welfare of all citizens.
496. As soon as the universal periodic review exercise had been completed, Algeria had stepped up the implementation of its national human rights plan and instituted a professional code for journalists. It had prepared draft legislation criminalizing domestic violence and human trafficking as well as a draft framework law on children which had four main components: health, education, equality and protection. In addition, on 28 and 29 June 2008, Algeria planned to hold a national meeting on family relations that would deal with, inter alia, the topic of violence against children.
497. The Algerian Government had taken the first steps towards ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol, and intended to notify the relevant treaty body of its withdrawal of its reservation to article 9, paragraph 2, of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. That reservation had already become null and void in Algeria.
498. Insofar as visits by mandate holders of the Human Rights Council’s special procedures were concerned, Algeria took the same view towards its obligations vis-à-vis the Council as it did to those under the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Arab Charter on Human Rights.
499. Just as it had agreed to the visit by the Council’s Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Algeria had agreed to visits by the Special Rapporteur of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the rights of women in Africa and the Commission’s Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders in Africa.
500. Algeria was likewise prepared to receive the Council’s Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression at any time. Algeria was currently considering the possibility of extending new invitations to other special procedures mandate holders.
501. With regard to the three recommendations that Algeria had been unable to accept because they were contrary to the Constitution, the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation and the principle of non-discrimination with regard to religious worship, the delegation said it was conceivable that Algeria had not been explicit enough in its report to dispel any possible misunderstandings. However, it remained open to debate and would reply to any questions member States and non-governmental organizations might wish to ask.
502. The universal periodic review was designed to measure the extent of States’ commitment to human rights in a way that was universal and treated all States equally. The exercise was intended, and therein lay its strength, to be a cooperative effort based on dialogue in which the country under review was fully involved and which took into account the country’s capacity building needs. The universal periodic review also made it possible to analyse the situation in a country objectively while preventing any influence from political factors when information was gathered and reviewed. It ought to result in specific action.
503. The universal periodic review mechanism had the advantage of constituting an assessment that could be applied to all States without distinction and had an effective impact on all human rights in a day-to-day context. The process should be left to take its own course and should not be overburdened, as some of those who had supported the review and in fact had been its earliest proponents of the review were trying to do.
504. It went without saying that the exercise benefited everyone. Above all, it made it possible to highlight things that were not working and identify ways of fixing them. Algeria had endorsed the conclusions of the Working Group and had already begun to implement them with the support and commitment of its citizens. Having been one of the architects of the founding text, Algeria was undertaking that task with a spirit of openness, humility and responsibility, and with complete confidence in the positive mission of the Council.
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