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Cyprus - Universal Periodic Review

UPR 32, January 29, 2019
Recommendations by Canada

Recommendations

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Thank you, Mr. President.

Canada welcomes the positive steps taken by Cyprus to advance gender equality, including creating a Strategic Action Plan on Gender Equality and a technical committee to implement the plan. Canada congratulates and thanks Cyprus for joining the Equal Rights Coalition which we currently co-chair with Chile. While there has been much progress since the last UPR, additional measures could be adopted in certain areas.

Canada recommends that Cyprus:

1. Take measures to combat discrimination against the LGBTI community and consider legal measures that would punish incitement to hatred on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity.
2. Take concrete action to ensure greater human rights protection of domestic foreign workers, for example, improving oversight of working conditions to prevent labour exploitation in the domestic sector.
3. Strengthen its support for intercommunal dialogue and activities.

Background

According to UPR Info, a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) that tracks the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process, in the first two cycles of the UPR, Cyprus received 184 recommendations, of which 155 were accepted (an acceptance rate of 84%). Canada’s previous recommendations to Cyprus were related to gender equality, combatting domestic violence and enhancing the professional training of police officers vis-a-vis assistance to vulnerable groups.

Cyprus, a member of the EU and the Commonwealth, is a democratic country with a progressive human rights legal framework. Cyprus has taken positive steps toward promoting gender equality, including, the adoption of a Strategic Action Plan on Gender Equality (2014-2017) and the creation of a technical committee to implement it. Cyprus has also worked toward increasing the number of women in senior public positions. According to UN Women, in 2016, the participation of women in the House of Representatives had increased from 10.7% to 17.85%.

In August 2018, Cyprus was the 40th member country to join the Equal Rights Coalition. Despite this positive step, challenges remain and the LGBTI community in Cyprus continues to suffer discrimination. For example, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) reported that gay and lesbian jobseekers in Cyprus were up to 43% less likely to be interviewed for a job.

The treatment of domestic foreign workers remains a serious concern with reports of exploitation, sexual harassment and violence. A report by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights found that in Cyprus, third-country nationals were protected in exceptional situations and not as a rule. Local NGO Caritas Cyprus has reported incidents of domestic foreign workers’ passports being held, and seven day work weeks. In addition, 25% of the domestic foreign workers that they have assisted have experienced sexual harassment or violence.

Despite efforts over the years to strengthen intercommunal relations between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, sustained cooperation between these communities remains limited. According to the July 2018 report of the Secretary-General on United Nations operations in Cyprus, several confidence-building measures (such as peace education) that leaders identified in May 2015 have still not been implemented.