PRESS RELEASE : 43rd Universal Periodic Review – UK statement on Tonga [May 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 May 2023.
The UK delivered a statement during Tonga’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
I would like to start by welcoming the recent steps taken by the Kingdom of Tonga to promote and protect human rights including the ratification of the ILO Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour.
Furthermore the UK commends Tonga for their engagement with civil society to work towards ending sexual and gender-based violence.
However we were deeply saddened by the murder of Polikalepo Kefu, a leading human rights activist for LGBTI+ rights. We encourage Tonga to take concrete steps to repeal laws that sanction and discriminate against LGBTI+ persons.
We recommend Tonga:
- Ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and consider a national plan of action to end SGBV.
- Ratify and implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and support the disaggregation of SDG Reporting data by disability by the end of 2023.
- Ratify the Convention Against Torture, and strengthen domestic implementation by establishing a Cabinet Working Group.
Thank you.
