Mr. President
We welcome the delegation of the Philippines and the presentation of the national report.
Norway appreciates the efforts and commitment by the Philippine Government to work for peace.
We also commend recent efforts to strengthen workers’ rights and conditions and to combat corruption. We encourage you to continue these reforms.
Norway recommends efforts to be taken to eliminate extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, and to intensify efforts to carry out the prosecution of such crimes.
Norway further recommends the Philippine Government and lawmakers to respect its obligations under the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR and to refrain from the plans to reimpose the death penalty.
Finally, Norway recommends necessary measures to be taken to provide adequate protection to journalists and human rights defenders.
Advance questions
1. What is the Philippine Government doing in order to address impunity and ensure that the right to due process and a fair trial is guaranteed to all people?
2. With the recent increase in the number of prisoners in the Philippines, what kind of measures have been taken to ensure that the condition of prisons and detention centers meet international humanitarian standards and that the rights of the inmates are respected?
3. What are the strategies of the Philippine Government to approach domestic violence and to establish a supportive environment for women and children within the judicial system?