Universal Periodic Review 10th Session
Intervention by Australia
MOZAMBIQUE
Australia welcomes the delegation from Mozambique and its engagement in the Universal Periodic Review process.
We congratulate Mozambique on its remarkable post-conflict progress towards recovery and the positive measures it has made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
Mozambique has made strong progress towards MDG targets on child mortality but still suffers from one of the highest child mortality rates in the world.
HIV/AIDS remains a significant threat to Mozambique’s development. We applaud Mozambique’s efforts in the areas of prevention, treatment and care for people with HIV/AIDS.
Australia recommends that Mozambique become a party to the International Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights, and the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities;
We welcome ongoing justice and security reforms, including the abolition of the death penalty in 1990, recognised in the revised 2004 Constitution. However, limited access to legal aid, inadequate community-based crime prevention, child detention, and prison conditions remain of concern.
Therefore Australia recommends that Mozambique build upon existing justice and security sector reforms.
We urge Mozambique to address ongoing corruption – which misdirects Mozambique’s resources – and afford priority to implementing new anti-corruption legislation.
Australia recommends Mozambique: Implement, in full, newly introduced Anti-Corruption legislation.
We further encourage Mozambique’s efforts to continue reform in education and welcome Mozambique’s recognition that education is critical to national progress.
We welcome constitutional gender equality gains and legal reforms aimed at eliminating discrimination against women, including the Domestic Violence against Women Act. While Mozambique has one of the highest percentages of women in parliament in the world, and has made good progress on reducing maternal mortality, Mozambique must work towards ending violence against women, including sexual slavery.
Australia recommends that Mozambique undertake a legislative review aimed at eliminating all forms of discrimination against women, particularly in relation to the Penal Code and inheritance laws.