Human rights council: protecting the safety and security of vulnerable groups

Governments urged to take proactive action

(LWI) - “We urge the Government of Uganda to take proactive measures that reduce teenage pregnancy while enabling pregnant teenagers to stay in school,” stated Ester Wolf, Advocacy Officer for Human Rights for the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) to the government of Uganda at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). “Although the government has adopted guidelines for the prevention and management of teenage pregnancy in school settings, due to stigma and the need for support, most pregnant refugee girls, and adolescent mothers have not gone back to school.”

This statement was one of six issued by the LWF during the 50th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) urging governments to prioritize advancing human rights. LWF country programs in Uganda and South Sudan along with LWF member churches in Iceland and Zimbabwe have been working with the LWF Action for Justice unit to advocate with vulnerable communities.

The UPR is a mechanism used by the HRC to review the human rights situation of United Nations (UN) member states. Civil society contributes to recommendations that member states make to states under review in order to promote policies and legislation that advance the protection of human rights.

As we are deeply rooted in local communities through member churches and country programs, the LWF is uniquely positioned to offer informed recommendations at human rights review mechanisms.

— Dr Emmanuel Gore, LWF Senior Advocacy Officer for Human Right

“As we are deeply rooted in local communities through member churches and country programs, the LWF is uniquely positioned to ensure genuine voices and priority human rights issues on the ground are being brought to forward during human rights review processes,” says Dr Emmanuel Gore, LWF Senior Advocacy Officer for Human Rights.

Issues the LWF focused on in this session included climate change, addressing sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and education, the protection of women’s rights, the situation of refugees and persons with disabilities, health, water and sanitation, and additional related human rights situations.

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