In November, Franciscans International welcomed a Friar Minor from Bosnia-Herzegovina, a Franciscan Missionary Sister of Assisi, and two Secular young Franciscans from Madagascar to take part in the pre-sessions for their countries’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Their visits to Geneva offered the chance to highlight the urgent human rights issues identified by Franciscans in a series of local workshops throughout 2024 and make specific recommendations at the UN to address these.
The UPR is a UN mechanism through which States examine each other’s human rights records and make suggestions to improve areas of concern. At the end of the process, the country under review can choose which of these recommendations it will accept. These, in turn, provide a valuable handhold for civil society and faith-based organizations working at the grassroots, as they provide concrete benchmarks to demand action from authorities and hold governments accountable.
Because civil society only has limited opportunities to intervene directly during the examination by States, UPR Info has organized these pre-sessions since 2012. Throughout this process, FI and Franciscans from these three countries will be calling attention to the following issues:
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Key concerns: strengthening national human rights institutions, the right to a healthy environment, and the rights of migrants.
Despite generally being well regarded, only 50 percent of the recommendations made by Bosnia-Herzegovina’s National Human Rights Institution are implemented – a situation that could be addressed by changing the law to make these enforceable subject to court supervision. Franciscans are also calling on the government to urgently reduce high levels of air pollution in cities – Sarajevo has topped the list of the most polluted in at least one instance – to reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases. Finally, as a transit country for migrants seeking to enter the European Union, the government should review its immigration laws and policies to ensure that people on the move are treated with dignity.
Italy
Key concerns: the right to health, the right to a healthy environment, the rights of prisoners, and the rights of migrants.
Franciscans are drawing attention to the structural fracture in healthcare quality between the northern and southern regions, calling on the government to take concrete steps to reduce this inequality. Healthy forestry is vital to providing a healthy biodiversity and ecosystem, which are currently under threat in Italy. Franciscans are calling for the protection of the national forest heritage and a national action plan for sustainable forest management. Meanwhile, the figure for self-harm in Italian prisons stands at 18 percent, with suicide rates being 18 times higher than on the outside. Immediate action should be taken to reduce the number of detained persons in Italy’s overcrowded prisons. Finally, considering the experiences of Franciscans providing care to migrants, Italy should ensure that the rights of migrants and refugees are respected and avoid amplifying disinformation and xenophobic rhetoric.
Madagascar
Key concerns: extreme poverty, the right to a healthy environment, and internal displacement
Madagascar is facing extreme climate hazards that have already resulted in a prolonged drought in the south – pushing 1.47 million people into food insecurity. Subsequent internal displacement to the North has fueled tensions over land between displaced and host communities. Franciscans are calling on the government to adopt a comprehensive migration policy that specifically addresses the adverse effects of climate change on vulnerable populations. The government should also provide local authorities with adequate resources and training to manage internal migration flows in line with international human rights and constitutional standards.
The Universal Periodic Reviews of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Italy, and Madagascar will take place in January 2025.
Top picture: Fetra Soloniaina, Brother Antony Baketaric OFM, Sister Charity Nkandu FMSA, Brother Eunan McMullan, Panuga Pulenthiran, and Fabiola Todisoa at FI’s office.