As delivered by Sheila Leonard
Universal Periodic Review 27th Session
Geneva,
May 4, 2017
Thank you Mr. President.
The United States warmly welcomes the United Kingdom to the UPR Working Group.
The United States commends the UK for its ongoing support for democracy and human rights within the country and around the world. We specifically commend it for its Hate Crime Action Plan. We share its concern about the increase in intolerance and the number of hate crimes in the UK.
As noted in our 2016 human rights report, the United States is concerned about unsafe and deteriorating prisons, and continued reports of societal discrimination against members of minority groups, on racial, religious or ethnic grounds.
Noting these concerns, the United States offers the following recommendations:
- Take further steps to halt and reverse the increase in the number of violent hate crimes.
- Review and strengthen current policies and initiatives to combat societal discrimination against members of racial, religious and ethnic minority groups.
- Initiate a prison reform plan to improve the deteriorating conditions in UK prisons, including addressing the increase in homicides and assaults.
Thank you Mr. President.