Uruguay - Universal Periodic Review

UPR 32, January 23, 2019
Recommendations by Canada

Recommendations

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Thank you, Mr. President.

Canada notes Uruguay’s strong record of human rights and its promotion of human rights internationally. However, we note that some challenges remain.

Canada recommends that Uruguay:

1. Ensure that the Comprehensive Act to Guarantee Women a Life Free of Gender-Based Violence, approved in 2017, is implemented to the full scope of the law, with sufficient resources for its broad application.
2. Improve prison conditions, particularly for young offenders, by reducing prison overcrowding and the use of pre-trial detention, including through measures such as conditional release.
3. Ensure that children and youth with physical and learning disabilities have access to special education.

Canada encourages Uruguay to convene the National Advisory Council for a Life Free of Gender Violence against Women and the Observatory for Monitoring and Evaluation created by Law 19,580.

We are pleased that the Institución Nacional de Derechos Humanos (INDDHH) participated in the submissions to the working group and that it continues to fulfill its mandate with integrity.

Background

According to Universal Periodic Review Info, a non-profit, non-governmental organization that tracks the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process, in the first two cycles of the UPR, Uruguay received 286 recommendations, of which 285 were accepted (an acceptance rate of 99.6%). Canada’s previous recommendations to Uruguay were related to domestic violence against women and prison conditions.

Uruguay has a historically strong record with respect to democratic governance, upholding political rights and civil liberties, as well as working towards social inclusion, and is accordingly seen as a country that is highly progressive and inclusive in its views. In 2013, Uruguay was the second country in South America to legalize same-sex marriage (following Argentina in 2010). However, although all citizens enjoy legal equality, there are still disparities in treatment and political representation for women and Uruguayans of African descent.

One of the most the persistent human rights challenges for Uruguay is the high rate of domestic violence against women, as pointed out by the former High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2017, who further urged the Uruguayan Government to remove any restrictions and barriers to reproductive health services, including safe abortion procedures, which were decriminalised in 2012, and post-abortion care.

Uruguay is the Latin American country with the highest proportion of youth in detention in relation to its population. According to the 2017 U.S. State Department Human Rights Report, prison and detention centre conditions continue to be poor and potentially life threatening in some facilities.

Uruguay has a strong education system, as reflected by the country’s high literacy and high secondary school enrollment rates. However, in some instances, there is inadequacy of facilities, instructional materials, and teachers' aides, which in turn affects children and youth with physical and learning disabilities.