UPR 24th Session,
Geneva, January 25, 2016
As delivered
The United States warmly welcomes the delegation from the Solomon Islands.
We commend the Solomon Islands for its commitment to democracy, as demonstrated by its free and fair national elections in 2014, and for taking steps to respect its international human rights obligations. We applaud recent initiatives to reduce domestic violence and provide support to survivors, including by creating the SAFENET network in 2013, which assists survivors of domestic violence, and enacting the Family Protection Act in 2014, which specifically addresses domestic violence.
The United States is concerned, however, by the persistence of government corruption and lengthy pretrial detentions.
We remain troubled by the high levels of gender-based violence, particularly the sexual abuse of women.
We note with regret that women continue to face discrimination across all sectors of society, and that only one woman sits in the 50-member Parliament.
We are also concerned that local children and foreign women are often subjected to various forms of human trafficking, including forced prostitution and domestic servitude.
Bearing in mind these concerns, we recommend that the Solomon Islands:
Pass a law to criminalize all forms of human trafficking and ratify the 2000 United Nations Trafficking in Persons Protocol.
Develop a concrete action plan to encourage and support women’s active involvement in economic and political life, including effective measures to increase women’s involvement in the economy and formal political institutions by addressing existing legal, social, and cultural barriers.
Enhance the protection of children from abuse, including prostitution, child pornography, and forced marriages.