Human Rights
Seychelles slams US State Department country report
Seychelles has issued a strong response following the United States of America’s State Department 2013 Report on Human Rights in Seychelles , expressing dissatisfaction with the content of the report and rejecting its validity.
In a communiqué, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has pointed out that the report is based on incomplete information compiled without due objectivity and does not reflect a genuine valuation of the current human rights landscape in Seychelles.
The communiqué adds that Seychelles is one of the states that has been most forthcoming and actively open on issues pertaining to human rights, demonstrated by Seychelles issuing standing invitations to the United Nations special rapporteurs to independently assess the local situation.
In addition, Seychelles has submitted itself to a Universal Periodic Review in the United Nations Human Rights Council where its record was scrutinised and assessed.
“Seychelles regrets that the positive strides it has undertaken to further promote good governance, democracy, the rule of law and human rights went unrecognised in the State Department report. A number of independent assessments made by various United Nations agencies commending Seychelles’ accomplishments have not been referenced in the report, which instead focuses on hearsay and inaccurate reporting of circumstantial and anecdotal situations.
“The Republic of Seychelles urges the United States of America to use objective information, rely on empirical evidence and engage the Seychelles government and other relevant stakeholders when compiling such reports in the future. This would eliminate the risk of focusing only on the views of a select and unrepresentative group of opinions which ultimately undermine core efforts at improving the human rights framework of Seychelles,” writes the communiqué.
It adds that the government of Seychelles has therefore issued a standing invitation to the competent United States authorities to visit Seychelles at their convenience and assess the situation on the ground, without any restrictions, in a fair and objective manner.
Seychelles has issued a strong response following the United States of America’s State Department 2013 Report on Human Rights in Seychelles , expressing dissatisfaction with the content of the report and rejecting its validity.
In a communiqué, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has pointed out that the report is based on incomplete information compiled without due objectivity and does not reflect a genuine valuation of the current human rights landscape in Seychelles.
The communiqué adds that Seychelles is one of the states that has been most forthcoming and actively open on issues pertaining to human rights, demonstrated by Seychelles issuing standing invitations to the United Nations special rapporteurs to independently assess the local situation.
In addition, Seychelles has submitted itself to a Universal Periodic Review in the United Nations Human Rights Council where its record was scrutinised and assessed.
“Seychelles regrets that the positive strides it has undertaken to further promote good governance, democracy, the rule of law and human rights went unrecognised in the State Department report. A number of independent assessments made by various United Nations agencies commending Seychelles’ accomplishments have not been referenced in the report, which instead focuses on hearsay and inaccurate reporting of circumstantial and anecdotal situations.
“The Republic of Seychelles urges the United States of America to use objective information, rely on empirical evidence and engage the Seychelles government and other relevant stakeholders when compiling such reports in the future. This would eliminate the risk of focusing only on the views of a select and unrepresentative group of opinions which ultimately undermine core efforts at improving the human rights framework of Seychelles,” writes the communiqué.
It adds that the government of Seychelles has therefore issued a standing invitation to the competent United States authorities to visit Seychelles at their convenience and assess the situation on the ground, without any restrictions, in a fair and objective manner.
Forrás: www.nation.sc