Statement by India at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group 28^th Session (6-17 November 2017) : 3rd UPR of Peru – Interactive Dialogue. [Geneva, 8 November 2017]

Mr. President,

India thanks the delegation of Peru for presentation of its national report.

2. We welcome the establishment of the Rural Housing Support Programme in 2012 to improve the quality of the poor and extremely poor populations of remote population centres by providing them with housing units. We also welcome the National Plan for the Development of the Afro-Peruvian Population 2016-2020 with an objective to guarantee the right to equality and non-discrimination and to promote its advancement.

3. We commend the recent legislations and other programmes aimed at steering public policy towards the progressive removal of barriers in full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities; the focus on child nutrition, early childhood development, and adolescents, and the protection of older persons. We also note with appreciation the adoption of relevant legislation in 2015 prohibiting the use of corporal and other humiliating punishment against children and adolescents.

4. We encourage Peru to address the issues relating to the right to education to all. We note with concern the still prevalent school dropout rate, gender inequality and unequal allocation of resources in schools. In this regard, we recommend developing a basic education curriculum imparting quality education in rural areas, promoting gender equality, non-discrimination based on sexual orientation and addressing problems in the community education systems.

5. We welcome the efforts made by Peru in political participation of women, which has increased as a result of legislation introducing gender quotas. However, we note that women are still under-represented in decision-making positions in public sector.

6. We make the following three recommendations to the Peru:

(i) Take special measures aimed at accelerating gender equality in all areas where women are underrepresented or disadvantaged;

(ii) Strengthen measures to combat the high rate of drug and alcohol addiction among children and adolescents.

(iii) Take affirmative measures to prevent exclusion and marginalization of indigenous population of the country.

7. We wish the delegation of Peru all success.

Thank you, Mr. President.