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HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - 20TH SESSION OF THE WORKING GROUP ON THE UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW - STATEMENT DELIVERED BY THE GHANA DELEGATION ON THE SECOND CYCLE REVIEW OF BOLIVIA TUESDAY, 28TH OCTOBER, 2014

Thank you Mr. President,

Ghana warmly welcomes the delegation of Bolivia and applaud their dedication to the UPR Mechanism. We commend them for the comprehensive report they submitted.

We also applaud the measures Bolivia has taken to reduce poverty; improve and expand access to safe drinking water, and also steps taken to ensure that aboriginal campesino nations have access to education that is meaningful to their culture. We however share the concern of the Special Rapporteur on Racism and recommend that Bolivia ensure equal access to education for indigenous peoples, Afro-Bolivians and other disadvantaged communities and groups.

In this regard, we recommend that Bolivia considers ratifying the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education.

Ghana is pleased to note that Bolivia has ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture. We nonetheless wish to reiterate the concerns raised by the Committee against Torture and recommend that Bolivia takes steps:

to complete the establishment of the national preventive mechanism in accordance with OP-CAT.

to prevent deaths in custody and punish those responsible for such deaths.

Finally, Ghana wishes to acknowledge the work Bolivia is doing to promote and protect the human rights of Bolivians and we wish them success.

Thank you Mr. President.

Valeriano De Castro

2014-10-28