A/HRC/12/50
617. Action Canada for Population and Development urged the Government to
implement the Ohrid framework agreement fully, especially with respect to Roma
communities. It also urged the Government to prioritize the formulation of an antidiscrimination legal framework and the strengthening of administrative structures to
sanction any form of discrimination. It called attention to the fact that shelter centres for
victims of domestic violence remained inaccessible for Roma girls under the age of 18 who
suffered violence based on early and/or arranged marriages within their families. With
regard to the Kosovo Roma refugees, it expressed concern that the process of granting
asylum was not fully gender-sensitive. It reported that there were cases of women who
suffered the worst forms of gender-based violence, to the families of which the asylum
status was denied. Concerning the situation of begging Roma children, it urged the
Government to introduce affirmative measures to eliminate begging. Almost half of those
children had problems of addiction and were thus in conflict with the law. It also strongly
urged the Government to, inter alia, consider an amnesty for all children under the age of
16 years for whom the State did not offer programmes to combat their addictions.
4.
Concluding remarks of the State under review
618. In her concluding remarks, the head of the delegation indicated that all suggestions
had been duly taken into account. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
acknowledged that improvement was always possible in relation to human rights and was
living up to that belief. The country had developed a tolerant society, with its own
specificities. It was also seeking to resolve its difficulties and was open to any further
discussion on the issues raised by delegations. The universal periodic review process, in
which the entire Government was fully involved, was an excellent opportunity to assess
achievements, in terms of both national and international commitments, and to see where
the country stood on a number of issues. The delegation reiterated that the
recommendations would serve as useful guide in policy design and action on human rights,
and the recommendations and suggestions given would be included therein. The State
would continue to cooperate fully and engage with the review process in the future.
Comoros
619. The review of the Comoros was held on 13 May 2009 in conformity with all the
relevant provisions contained in Council resolution 5/1, and was based on information
presented by Comoros, in accordance with the annex to Council resolution 5/1, paragraph
15 (a); the compilation prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (b)
(A/HRC/WG.6/5/COM/2); and the summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with
paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/5/COM/3).
620. At its 18th meeting, on 25 September 2009, the Council considered and adopted the
outcome of the review on the Comoros (see section C below).
621. The outcome of the review on the Comoros comprises the report of the Working
Group on the Universal Periodic Review (A/HRC/12/16), the views of the Comoros
concerning the recommendations and/or conclusions, and its voluntary commitments and
replies presented before the adoption of the outcome by the plenary to questions or issues
that were not sufficiently addressed during the interactive dialogue in the Working Group.
1.
Views expressed by the State under review on the recommendations and/or
conclusions as well as on its voluntary commitments and on the outcome
622. The delegation of the Comoros expressed its gratitude for the efforts made by the
United Nations, and in particular the Secretariat, to ensure the participation of the
delegation of the Comoros in the universal periodic review. Mexico, the United Kingdom
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