2 April 2008
Tunis — The United Nations Human Rights Committee relative to civic and political rights, which recently reviewed in New York , Tunisia 's 5 th periodic report, "welcomes progressive Tunisian legal reforms that offered better protection for Human Rights".
Tunisia 's position in relation to the death penalty was also hailed by experts sitting on the Committee who "welcomed Tunisia 's commitment to pursue the path towards abolition of the death penalty", adding that "It was a positive sign when a State party to the Covenant took the view formally that it was a de facto abolitionist State ".
Tunisia's 5 th periodic report was presented to the UN Human Rights Committee in New York by a high -ranking Tunisian delegation led by the Mr Béchir Tekkari, the Minister of Justice and Human Rights and composed of senior officials, representatives of the civil society and members of the parliament.
Mr Tekkari said that " Tunisia had lifted many of its reservations to international human rights instruments, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the elimination of discrimination against women."
On the question concerning prison visits, Mr Tekkari noted that "the International Red Cross Committee (ICRC) was not the only body that visited the country's detention centres. Indeed, the Supreme Committee on Human Rights visited such centres" adding that "the mindset of prison guards and officials had changed" for the better as a result of this opening up.
In relation to Tunisia 's fast evolving legislation, regarding the promotion of Human Rights, one of the experts on the Committee said "that the Committee was pleased to note the progress made regarding the protection of Human Rights and the primacy of international conventions in national legislation, on which jurisprudence had been developed".
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