U.S. Statement at the UPR of Saint Lucia
U.S. Statement at the Universal Periodic Review of Saint Lucia
37th Session
Geneva, January 21, 2021
As Delivered by Sean Mariano Garcia
The United States welcomes the Saint Lucia delegation.
We recommend Saint Lucia:
- Enact reforms to prevent physical abuse of suspects and prisoners and hold police and prison officials responsible for any abuses. Take measures to shorten the length of pretrial detention and to ensure that criminal defendants receive a trial without undue delay.
- Decriminalize consensual same-sex sexual activity between adults by repealing Sections 132 and 133 of the Criminal Code.
- Adopt national asylum legislation and procedures, including a refugee status determination procedure, in order to ensure respect for the principle of non-refoulement.
We commend Saint Lucia’s continued commitment to the promotion of human rights. We encourage Saint Lucia to increase transparency in its investigation of the alleged extrajudicial killings in 2010-2011 and ultimately prosecute those suspected of being involved in the crimes.