A/HRC/30/13
Introduction
1.
The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance
with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, held its twenty-second session from 4 to
15 May 2015. The review of the Marshall Islands was held at the 12th meeting, on 11 May
2015. The delegation of the Marshall Islands was headed by the Minister for Foreign
Affairs, Tony A. deBrum. At its 17th meeting, held on 15 May 2015, the Working Group
adopted the report on the Marshall Islands.
2.
On 13 January 2015, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of
rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of the Marshall Islands: China, Congo and
Mexico.
3.
In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to Human Rights Council
resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to Council resolution 16/21, the following
documents were issued for the review of the Marshall Islands:
(a)
A national report (A/HRC/WG.6/22/MHL/1);
(b)
A compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) (A/HRC/WG.6/22/MHL/2);
(c)
A summary prepared by OHCHR (A/HRC/WG.6/22/MHL/3).
4.
A list of questions prepared in advance by Belgium, Germany, Liechtenstein,
Mexico, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
was transmitted to the Marshall Islands through the troika. These questions are available on
the extranet of the Working Group
I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process
A.
Presentation by the State under review
5.
The delegation of the Marshall Islands thanked OHCHR, the Human Rights Council
and the Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review for allowing the Marshall Islands
to present its second report on its human rights situation. The delegation also thanked the
Regional Rights Resource Team of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, the Pacific
Islands Forum Secretariat and their bilateral partners for assistance in the preparations
leading up to the submission of the report of the Marshall Islands as well as their
participation before the Working Group.
6.
The Marshall Islands stated that with a population of roughly over 60,000 people, it
consisted of low-lying coral atolls (29) and islands (5) in the central Pacific with a total
land area of approximately 181 km2 scattered over an exclusive economic zone of 2 million
km2 of ocean.
7.
The Marshall Islands emphasized that after the Second World War it was
administered by the United States of America as a United Nations-mandated Trust Territory
of the Pacific Islands. During that period, the United States had detonated in the country,
namely the atolls of Bikini and Enewetak, 67 atmospheric, land and underwater atomic and
thermonuclear weapons from 1946 to 1958, or the equivalent of 1.6 Hiroshima bombs
every single day during the 12 years of the United States Nuclear Testing Program. Such
was the legacy of the United States, and to the present day outstanding issues arising from
the Program were yet to be resolved. The Marshall Islands adopted its Constitution in 1979
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