Germany - Universal Periodic Review

UPR 30, May 10, 2018
Recommendations by Canada

Recommendations

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Thank you, Mr. President.

We commend Germany’s strong record on human rights and its ongoing efforts to manage a significant influx of refugees. We encourage Germany to take all possible steps to support the long-term perspectives and prospects for success in Germany of all its residents, citizens and non-citizens alike.

Canada recommends that Germany:

1. Improve access to integration services and the job market for persons who enjoy subsidiary protection; facilitate family reunification; strengthen refugee sponsorship; and enhance settlement, integration and inclusion programs.
2. Promote sexual and reproductive health and rights, including by removing barriers to safe and legal abortion services and post-abortion care. 
3. Recognize under family law unmarried couples in established relationships, both opposite-sex and same-sex. 

Canada praises Germany for laws and initiatives to address the issues of wage gap and political representation of women.

Canada positively acknowledges the nomination of Germany’s first federal commissioner to combat anti-Semitism.

Canada welcomes the legalization of same-sex marriage and encourages Germany to continue its efforts to implement the ruling regarding the possibility for individuals to choose their gender.

Background

According to UPR Info, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that tracks the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process, in the first two cycles of the UPR, Germany received 275 recommendations, of which 228 were accepted (an acceptance rate of 83%). Canada’s previous recommendation to Germany concerned measures to prevent racial discrimination by strengthening institutional capacities to systematically document and investigate racially motivated crimes.

Germany has a high standard of respect for human rights, and is party to the major human rights conventions; it is Canada’s longstanding partner in this regard. Germany protects human rights through its constitutional law (Grundgesetz) and constitutional court. Germany has a diverse and active civil society that operates freely.

Germany passed a law in 2017 granting same-sex couples the right to marry and adopt children. Germany also adopted legislation to promote gender equality such as the Wage Transparency Act in 2018 and a statutory gender quota for companies’ supervisory boards. 

However, there remain areas of concern.  Germans face some barriers to abortion and post-abortion care. Unmarried couples, even in long-established partnerships, are excluded from the same benefits and entitlements as married couples.

Although the number of new asylum seekers entering Germany has fallen dramatically since the peak in 2015, Germany continues to grapple with the impact of large numbers of asylum seekers admitted in recent years. Persons enjoying subsidiary protection status under European law face restrictions.