OHCHR urges Philippines to address human rights violations

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process which involves a review of the human rights records of all UN Member States. The UPR is a State-driven process, under the auspices of the Human Rights Council, which provides the opportunity for each State to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and to fulfil their human rights obligations.

The 27th UPR Working Group met 8 May 2017. One of the countries under review was the Philippines. Human rights advocates highlighted ongoing widespread gross human rights abuses against people in situations of vulnerability, including people who use drugs and women.

In response to these human rights violations reported during the UPR process, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has made a series of recommendations, including the following:

• Lift all of the pre-conditions in relation to the planned visit by the Speical Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions to investigate the alleged extrajudicial killings of suspected drug dealers
• Urgently stop all extrajudicial killings and any incitement to commit such killings; and bring the Government's methods of combating the use of illegal drugs in line with international standardsUrgently stop all extrajudicial killings and any inictement to commit such killings

Additionally, the OHCHR has recommended the Philippines launch independent investigations into drug related homicides connected to the Government's anti-drug campaign. We trust these reccomendations by the OHCHR will lead to an immediate stop of the Government's violent practices carried out under the aegis of the war on drugs.