Tunis, April 4 — The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Civil Observation Coalition, which monitors Tunisia's implementation of its international commitments, says the country's overall record over the past year has been "negative".
At a press conference on Thursday, the Coalition said in its periodic report that Tunisia has not begun to implement the 192 recommendations of the United Nations Human Rights Council since March 24, 2023.
The Coalition's representative, Wahid Ferchichi, said that Tunisia had not yet shown "seriousness" in implementing its international commitments, noting that on March 24, 2023, Tunisia had received some 281 recommendations from member states of the Human Rights Council.
It accepted 192 recommendations and took note of 89 recommendations, suggesting that Tunisia had not rejected the recommendations.
According to the same source, by increasing the number of trials under Decree-Law 54, Tunisia has once again violated the human rights it was obliged to protect under the accepted recommendations.
Ferchichi considered that the representation of women in the Assembly of People's Representatives and the National Council of Regions and Districts remained "very low" due to Decree-Law No. 2022-55 of September 15, 2022, amending Organic Law No. 2014-16 of May 26, 2014 on elections and referendums.
With regard to economic and social rights, Tunisia had made no progress in this area and regretted the failure to integrate two million people without health insurance, despite the agreement signed to extend health insurance to several categories, including the unemployed and migrants.
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In the area of environmental rights, Tunisia had not yet adopted a national strategy on climate change, despite its commitments and the climatic challenges it faced, in particular drought and scarcity of water resources.
With regard to the rights of groups, the Tunisian State has not implemented any of the accepted recommendations, said the representative of the Civil Observation Coalition of the UPR. He pointed to an increase in cases of violation of the rights of migrants on Tunisian territory, a rise in violence against women and the continuation of marriages of minors with judicial authorisation.
With regard to people with disabilities, Tunisian legislation has not been brought into line with international standards, particularly as regards access to public spaces and the strengthening of their right to education.
The civil coalition monitoring the UPR includes the following associations: The Tunisian League for Human Rights, Al Bawsala, the Tunisian Organisation Against Torture, the Association of Tunisian Judges, the Tunisian Forum of Economic and Social Rights and Lawyers without Borders.
