Analytics, EU – Baltic States, Latvia, Legislation, Society

Latvia has been advised to address problems with ethnic minorities' integration, ensure asylum seekers' rights and combat domestic violence.

According to a report submitted to the government on Tuesday, a total of 70 countries participated in the discussion as the working group on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the UN Human Rights Council reviewed Latvia's national human rights report at its 24th session and provided 173 recommendations.

The Latvian delegation, which conducted the initial analysis of the recommendations, approved 74 recommendations and committed to assessing 96 recommendations by June, as well as dismissed three recommendations. The rejected recommendations called for changing Latvia's language policy, the report to the government shows.

The key issues addressed in the UN recommendations concern the ratification of international human rights accords, integration of ethnic minorities, fighting domestic violence, preventing human trafficking, discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes, improving living conditions in correctional institutions, reducing the gender pay gap, ensuring asylum seekers' rights and promoting tolerance.

Latvia received praise for achievements in areas like gender equality, society integration, prevention of discrimination, eradication of violence against women, prevention of human trafficking, improving living conditions in correctional institutions, as well as promoting the rights and freedom of speech of people with disabilities.

UN members also appreciated Latvia's accession to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, as well as the accreditation of the Latvian Ombudsman's Office by the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions Sub-Committee on Accreditation, which gave it the highest ‘A’ accreditation status.