Mr President
Norway warmly welcomes the Tunisian delegation and commends the persistent efforts of the Tunisian Government in the field of human rights. The new constitution of 2014 grants collective rights and freedoms, a significant and laudable development.
Norway welcomes Tunisia’s moratorium on the death penalty, but notes that death penalties continue to be pronounced. Norway recommends Tunisia to review its anti-terrorism law and Penal Code to definitively abolish the death penalty, and to ratify the second optional protocol to the ICCPR.
Norway commends the establishment of the National Authority for the Prevention of Torture in 2016. We recommend Tunisia to further its efforts to ban torture and other ill-treatment in conformity with international human rights standards, also while combatting terrorism.
Finally, Norway recommends Tunisia to repeal Article 230 of the Penal Code, which criminalizes same-sex relations of consenting adults, and to discontinue the practice of forced anal exams to prove homosexual behaviour.
Thank you
Advance questions
1. What measures are taken by Tunisia to ensure the individual rights of human rights defenders?
2. How does Tunisia plan to harmonize its new constitution with existing non-conforming legislation?
3. Does Tunisia plan to establish a legislative framework for asylum seekers and migrants?