The statement was delivered by Andrej Lúčny, Chairman of ETHOS, an Associate organization of Humanists International. Lúčny made the intervention via video at the 57th session of the Human Rights Council during the adoption of Slovakia’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR)* report. The organizations called attention to numerous human rights issues within Slovakia.
The statement began by highlighting the refusal of Slovakia to ratify the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, noting that there has been significant misinformation spread by the Catholic Church about it. The organizations went on to call for the introduction of a framework on the rights of same-sex couples.
A portion of the statement also focused on abuses committed by members of the Catholic Church, which have only been recognized in Slovakia recently. While there is a Children’s Ombudsman in Slovakia, with the mandate to protect children’s rights, the current office-holder has links to religious groups, which Lúčny called attention to, as well as his comments on corporal punishment and LGBTI+ individuals. ETHOS have previously written to the Ombudsman, and in reply, he noted his office’s limited competencies.
Lúčny concluded by noting the range of issues in Slovakia which are undermining democracy and the rule of law, including corruption, changes to the criminal code, and the abolition of the Special Prosecutor’s Office, as well as crackdowns on press freedom. The statement jointly delivered by ETHOS and Humanists International was one of only two statements delivered at the UPR Adoption by non-governmental organizations.
*The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a UN process which involves a periodic review of the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States, by each other. It is a unique human rights mechanism in so far as it addresses all countries and all human rights. The Working Group on the UPR, which is composed of the Human Rights Council’s 47 Member States and chaired by the Human Rights Council President, conducts country reviews. Humanists International supports its members in engagement with the process.
Featured photo by Raphael GB on Unsplash
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