PRESS RELEASE : 43rd Universal Periodic Review – UK statement on Romania [May 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 May 2023.

The UK’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, delivered a statement at Romania’s UPR at the Human Rights Council.

The UK welcomes Romania’s continued commitment to the UPR. We recognise its efforts in developing and adopting cross-government strategies and legislation on human rights, including on tackling Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking and anti-Semitism and xenophobia. We encourage Romania to focus on implementation and outcomes.

We recommend that Romania:

1. Improve equality of opportunity, particularly in rural areas and for marginalised groups, address income disparities and extreme poverty, improve access to inclusive education, and reduce social-economic exclusion.
2. Intensify efforts to reduce underage pregnancy, violence against women, Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, and Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, including by addressing the social attitudes that drive these problems.
3. Demonstrate ongoing political commitment to create an environment where minority groups, especially Roma and LGBT people, can be confident and open in their identity.

Thank you, Madam President.