A/HRC/13/7
B.
Interactive dialogue and responses by the State under review
36.
During the interactive dialogue, statements were made by 35 delegations. A number
of delegations thanked the Government for the comprehensive national report, its
presentation and the responses provided to advance questions. Statements were made
welcoming Cyprus’s commitment to the universal review process, its constructive
participation and the consultations with stakeholders that took place in preparing the
national report. A number of States welcomed the ratification by Cyprus of most
international human rights instruments and legal framework for the promotion and
protection of human rights. Recommendations made during the interactive dialogue are to
be found in section II of the present report.
37.
Algeria raised concern about the relatively high discrimination in terms of salaries
between men and women. Bearing in mind the efforts of Cypriot to extend the appropriate
assistance, it noted that Cyprus is experiencing an increasing inflow of irregular migrants,
refugees and asylum-seekers. Algeria welcomed the commitment of the authorities to make
the necessary efforts to prevent discrimination, in particular against minorities and foreign
citizens. Thus, particular attention would be given to education, training and dissemination
of different minority languages spoken in the count. Algeria made recommendations
regarding the above-mentioned issues, including freedom of movement and rights of the
child.
38.
Turkey stated that the report A/HRC/WG.6/6/CYP/1 included biased information
and that allegations therein do not reflect historical realities. It recalled that the Republic of
Cyprus had been established in 1960 as a partnership based on the equal status of the
Turkish and Greek Cypriot peoples. Turkey stated that that partnership had ceased to exist
after the Constitution had been unilaterally abrogated in 1963 by the Greek Cypriot side by
use of force, and that since then there was no single authority representing Cyprus as a
whole. It stated that the report failed to provide satisfying information regarding the
freedom of thought, conscience and religion of the Muslims living under their
administration and the property and education rights of the Turkish Cypriots living in the
south, and also minimized the increasing tendencies of ethnic hatred directed against the
Turkish Cypriots. Turkey stated that the approach of the Greek Cypriot side raised doubts
about their sincerity at a time when a United Nations comprehensive negotiation process,
strongly supported by Turkey, was under way for a new partnership. Turkey stated that the
Greek Cypriot side should focus on solving the grave human rights problems under their
administration instead of trying to put the blame elsewhere.
39.
Sweden expressed concern about indications of high levels of violence against
women in Cyprus and persisting discrimination against women in the labour market. It
noted that Cyprus had recognized that traditional stereotyped attitudes, as pointed out by
the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, had contributed to
women’s disadvantaged position. Regarding discrimination against migrants and asylumseekers, Sweden highlighted concerns expressed by the Committee on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights in May 2009 about continued limited access to employment and social
isolation of third-country migrants. Also, civil society organizations had issued reports on
migrants lacking access to legal aid. Sweden made recommendations.
40.
Canada welcomed the 2007 anti-trafficking legislation for the identification and
protection of trafficking victims and the entry into force of the Council of Europe
Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. It noted the continuing
trafficking in women for sexual exploitation, as reported by the Committee on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights in May 2009. Canada referred to the 2006 concluding
observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, in
which the Committee had noted that patriarchal attitudes, traditional prejudices and
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