Gabon: Human Rights

(asked on 4th July 2022) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) humanitarian, (b) political and (c) human rights situation in Gabon.


Answered by
Vicky Ford Portrait
Vicky Ford
This question was answered on 12th July 2022

We monitor developments in Gabon from our High Commission in Yaoundé (in Cameroon). We have frequent conversations with the Gabonese authorities on a range of topics including politics and human rights. We have discussed these issues in the context of Gabon's seat on the UN Security Council, the Human Rights Council, and their recent accession to the Commonwealth. In Gabon's most recent Universal Periodic Review, we welcomed progress on women's rights and the protection of children, particularly in relation to human trafficking, and we urged greater progress on increasing political space for opposition voices and freedom of expression and assembly. During the process of accession to the Commonwealth, Gabon was assessed by the Commonwealth Secretariat and members on a number of criteria, including its commitment to democratic processes, including free and fair elections, and the protection of human rights and freedom of expression. We will continue to monitor the situation closely in the run-up to the 2023 presidential elections, working with international partners, including the EU, UN, and Commonwealth. We call for all parties to engage constructively in the elections and uphold democratic principles including the rule of law.

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