U.S. Mission to International
Organizations in Geneva

12^th Session of the UPR Working Group

Delegation of the United States of America

Geneva, October 3, 2011

-as delivered-

The United States warmly welcomes Minister of State, the honorable Mathias Chikawe and the Tanzanian delegation to the UPR Working Group, and we congratulate the delegation on the completion of its national report.   Having closely reviewed that report, and  closely followed the Minister’s presentation today, we would like to offer the following comment.

We commend the United Republic of Tanzania for its strong commitment to addressing gender based violence, particularly the Health Ministry for its efforts to develop comprehensive gender-based violence management guidelines in cooperation with key stakeholders

We commend the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Tanzania and Brazil to fund implementation of the 2009 National Plan of Action on Child Labor.

We commend Tanzania for its public stance and support for protecting the rights of persons with albinism and we applaud Tanzania’s commitment to hosting refugees and encourage future commitment to principles of first asylum and international refugee law.

Despite these and other positive efforts made by the government, much remains to be done to further promote human rights.  There were numerous reports of excessive force by police and military units, including most recently two deaths last May in Arusha.
The Tanzanian Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau reports that Tanzania’s police force is perceived to be the most corrupt institution in the country, with the judiciary being the second most corrupt institution.

There were numerous reports of societal violence against women and children, including female genital mutilation.  What concrete measures does Tanzania intend to take in order to combat discriminatory gender-based practices rooted in traditional customs?

There were numerous credible reports of unjustified restrictions on freedoms of the press and assembly, arbitrary arrest, threats and assaults, and other impediments to journalists and their work.  The use of child labor remains prevalent throughout the country, particularly the use of young girls as domestic help.

Bearing in mind these concerns, the United States makes that following recommendations:

1. Ensure all security forces are subject to strict civilian control;
2. Provide human rights training for security forces;
3. Vigorously prosecute security force personnel who violate the law;
4. Implement a national action plan to combat corruption, including enhanced laws and enforcement, more resources dedicated to anti-corruption bodies, a review of law enforcement compensation, and a nation-wide educational campaign;
5. Work with the media and other stakeholders to ensure that all organs of the state understand, appreciate, and respect in practice the constitutional freedoms of press and assembly; and finally,
6. Fully implement the National Plan of Action on Child Labor.