U.S. Statement at the Universal Periodic Review of Namibia
38th Session, May 3, 2021
Statement As Delivered by Meryn Schneiderhan
The United States warmly welcomes the Namibian delegation to the UPR working group.
We recommend that Namibia:
- Prioritize fighting corruption by enacting an access to information law, fully implementing whistleblower protections and empowering and adequately funding the Anti-Corruption Commission to fulfill its mandate.
- Establish a sexual offender registry program and review the effectiveness of sentencing laws and educational curriculum concerning gender-based violence.
- Include the protection of same-sex couples in reforms and proposed amendments to the Combating of Domestic Violence Act.
We commend Namibia’s record of protecting human rights and recognize Namibia’s Tier 1 status for minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking. We recommend continued efforts to curb gender-based violence, and especially domestic violence. We believe it is important that Namibia increase public transparency and fully enforce laws that provide accountability for acts of corruption.