| Click here for a summary of Benin’s review at the first cycle and/or the second cycle. |
28th UPR session
Date of review: 9 November 2017
Date of report adoption: 19 March 2018
Document number: A/HRC/37/10
| SUMMARY
SOGIESC issues during Benin’s 3rd UPR review |
I. SOGIESC issues/recommendations identified by NGOs and other stakeholders
Equality and non-discrimination
12. JS7 drew attention to cases of discrimination and violence against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community, who were often arbitrarily stopped for questioning or arrested. JS7 also pointed out that certain media broadcast homophobic messages. JS7 recommended that national surveys be conducted on violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and that a legal framework be established to punish such violence.
Right to life, liberty and security of person
29. JS5 recommended reducing prison overcrowding by speeding up the construction and refurbishment of prisons; the strict separation of prisoners by age, sex and status; improving detention conditions, particularly in relation to food, health care and hygiene; and expediting the establishment of an independent mechanism for the prevention of torture.
II. Excerpts on SOGIESC issues from the national report
Human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity (recommendations Nos. 110.1 to 110.5)
107. The position of Benin on the recommendations that it noted has not changed.
III. Excerpts on SOGIESC issues by UN agencies
National human rights framework
5. OHCHR stated that some recommendations on legislative measures had not yet been implemented. These largely concerned the adoption of the new Criminal Code, an act on gender equality and women’s participation in political life, an act on access for all to public information [1] [2] and an act on the enjoyment of freedom of association, freedom of assembly and freedom to demonstrate.
8. In 2014, the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography regretted the lack of a reliable information and monitoring/evaluation system in Benin, to assess the impact of human rights policies and programmes. She recommended the establishment of a centralized, standardized and reliable information gathering and processing system to collect data disaggregated by age, sex, background and status.
21. The Human Rights Committee recommended that Benin reduce prison overcrowding by contin[6] uing implementing its prison construction projects and applying alternatives to pretrial detention, 39 improve hygiene conditions and access to food and health care, regularly monitor conditions of detention and ensure that prisoners were separated according to their category, age and sex.
IV. References to SOGIESC issues during the Working Group review
87. South Africa welcomed the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the illegality of death penalty, and commended Benin for the children’s code and the promotion of youth employment. South Africa also welcomed the improvement of screening and care of people living with HIV/AIDS, as well as the setting-up of integrated support centres for victims of gender-based violence.
V. Conclusions and/or recommendations
Benin accepted the following recommendations:
118.35. Adopt the various legislative recommendations, including the Act on gender and women’s participation in political life as well as adopting a national monitoring mechanism for women’s rights (Namibia);
118.70. Take all necessary measures for the strict separation of detainees according to their age, sex and status, with the aim of improving prison conditions, in the follow up of recommendations 108.34, 108.36, 108.37 and 108.38 from the second cycle (Haiti);
118.121. Ensure that sexual and reproductive health education is mandatory for all adolescents, irrespectively of their gender (Portugal);
118.130 . Strengthen and implement measures to promote gender equality and equity, address the under-representation of women in decision-making bodies, gender based violence and elimination of harmful traditional practices (Rwanda);
118.134. Continue taking steps to reduce gender based violence and promoting gender equality (Indonesia);
VI. Further information
You will find all documents relating to India’s third review at UPR-Info and OHCHR’s websites.