US Mission Geneva

We commend Azerbaijan’s positive steps, such as those to discourage violence against women and early marriage and the 2012 release of a number of individuals imprisoned for public expression of their opinions.

We commend promotion of women’s participation in government and appreciate the National Human Rights Commission’s acknowledgement that all individuals, including LGBT individuals, should be protected from discrimination.

We commend the Government’s long-standing commitment to the promotion of human rights and its implementation of recommendations from its first review.

We applaud Germany’s commitment to addressing the broad spectrum of human rights, including Germany’s commitment to prosecute and punish officials in the security services, and elsewhere in government, who commit abuses.

We would like to express our appreciation for Tuvalu’s efforts and accomplishments in promoting human rights. We commend Tuvalu for its free and fair parliamentary elections in 2010.

We remain concerned by severe restrictions on freedoms of expression, assembly, and association. Human rights activists, journalists, and others who criticize the government are harassed and subjected to politically motivated arrest and prosecution.

We commend Colombia for taking steps to begin negotiations to reach a peaceful resolution of the country’s long-standing conflict with the FARC.

We commend Cape Verde for working collaboratively with several international and regional human rights organizations, including OHCHR, to ensure respect for and protection of human rights.

We commend Burkina Faso for the tremendous hospitality provided to nearly 50,000 refugees fleeing the conflict in northern Mali.