29 May 2015 - The latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Guinea-Bissau took place in Geneva this year in January, with 151 recommendations adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council to improve the situation of human rights in the country. The responses of the government are expected by June 2015.

"Guinea-Bissau has received many compliments at the UN Human Rights meeting thanks to positive evolution of legislation for human rights protection but that is not enough. According to the [Human Rights Council] members States, it is necessary to create conditions to hold responsible those violating the law", said Luis Vaz Martins, the former president of the Guinean League for Human Rights, who also attended Geneva meeting.

Among all those recommendations, Guinea-Bissau was asked to "ratify the human rights treaties for protection of persons with disabilities and to take necessaries measures to prevent ritual homicides against children with disability, to investigate and prosecute those suspected of committing these crimes and to increase efforts to raise awareness on the need to eradicate such practices".

According to a source from the General Prosecutor Office, this year two cases of violence against disabled children were reported, one in Bissau and the other one in Biombo region. In the first case the child was subjected to a ritual and eventually died by drowning. The second dealt with rape. The accused was tried and convicted.

Among the NGOs and nationals institutions fighting for the rights of disable children in Guinea-Bissau, there is the Guinean Association for Rehabilitation and Integration of Blind (AGRICE, Portuguese acronym), which established the White Cane School for blind children.
"The school was created as a response to the discrimination suffered by disabled children. Before disabled children were not going to school in Bissau-Guinean. There is a big discrimination of people with disability and excessive suffering. This became revolting because I was born with disability, I became blind when I was three years old, and this is one of the reasons that led me to create this school and fight for the education of disabled people, not only for blind people but for all types", the president of AGRICE, Manuel Lopes Rodrigues explained.

Regarding the absence of a national policy on the issue of the disabled, Manuel said: "it is extremely serious and we are treated as friends and the government should take its responsibility to have a more inclusive society".

"Mozambique has a government policy for disable people, we wish here the similar policy. There have been attempts of different governments but we didn't see anything serious and this is can only happen when the Charter of the United Nations is respected on the rights of persons with disabilities and to put into practice its ratification", he added.

But Manuel believes that it will take time until the treaty is ratified however he is hopeful that things will change under the current government.

Aida Fernandes, president of the National Human Rights Commission, ensured that that the convention on the rights of people with disabilities was already approved by the National Popular Assembly but awaits promulgation by the President Jose Mario Vaz.

This year the Ministry of Education, in partnership with UNICEF and Handicap International has planned to carry out inclusive education activities both at national and regional levels.

Among the planned activities is the 11 Children's Friend Schools project which will target approximately 2,340 children in the Oio region with an overall objective of contributing to the full participation of those children in Bissau-Guinean society, improving their access to quality inclusive education and adequate protection mechanisms and early detection of disability.
According to the Ministry of Women, Family and Social Cohesion, there are approximately 13,000 people with disability in Guinea-Bissau. The last census was done in 1987.

The UPR is one of the mandates bestowed upon to the Human Rights Council, by all UN Member States in the General Assembly, in Resolution A/RES/60/251 of 3 April 2006 which established the Human Rights Council. It is a unique process involving a review of the human rights records of all UN Member States every four years.

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