Human Rights Council: 43rd Session of the Universal Periodic Review, United Arab Emirates

Mr Vice-President,

New Zealand warmly welcomes the distinguished delegation from the United Arab Emirates.

We welcome the UAE’s new 2022 Federal Law that decriminalises de-facto relationships and recognises the rights of children of de-facto relationships.  

New Zealand recommends that the UAE:

1. Strengthens measures to prohibit torture: including establishing a definition of torture in accordance with UNCAT; ensuring all allegations of torture are investigated impartially; and ensuring that the prohibition of torture is established as absolute and non-derogable in national legislation.
2. Continues legislative amendment efforts to ensure that terrorism is not used as a ground for limiting public dissent.
3. Enhances efforts to ensure independence of the judiciary from the executive branch.
4. Heightens efforts to ensure that international and legal standards for fair trials are respected, ensure procedural guarantees, and reject evidence obtained under torture.

We wish the UAE all the best for its review.

Thank you, Mr Vice-President.