UPR of Uruguay
18th Session of the Universal Periodic Review
Delivered by Aleksandra Needham
January 29, 2014
The United States welcomes the delegation from Uruguay to the UPR working group.
The United States commends Uruguay’s strong record on human rights and its promotion of human rights internationally.
We recognize that Uruguay has improved its prison system since the 2009 UPR cycle; however, overcrowding and poor conditions remain a concern. We are also concerned that undue delays in bringing charges and pursuing prosecutions have unreasonably prolonged pre-trial detention.
We note Uruguay’s continued support of the office dedicated to combat gender-based violence and sex trafficking in the Ministry of Social Development, as well as ongoing efforts to investigate potential cases of human trafficking. We encourage the government to take additional measures to ensure alleged trafficking offenders are prosecuted and, if found guilty, convicted.
We note Uruguay’s continued implementation of a national plan to address the commercial sexual exploitation of children, as well as a national plan to combat child labor, in particular in garbage dumps. However, the country lacks a comprehensive national plan to eliminate the worst forms of child labor.
Bearing in mind these concerns, we recommend that Uruguay:
- Increase efforts to address prison overcrowding, antiquated facilities and undue delays in prosecution that have prolonged pre-trial detention;
- Increase efforts to identify and prosecute suspected human traffickersand provide comprehensive services to victims of trafficking;
- Draft and adopt a comprehensive national plan of action to address the worst forms of child labor.