National report of Greece and summary of stakeholders’ information within the framework of the UPR 2nd cycle released

The report containing the summary of information by NHRIs, NGOs and IOs on human records of Greece refers also to the submission by ABTTF

The Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which is a unique process involving a review of the human rights records of all Member States of the United Nations (UN), released the national report of Greece and summary of the stakeholders’ submissions to the UPR. During the UPR Working Group’s 25th session from 2 to 13 May 2016 in Geneva/Switzerland, Greece will also be reviewed within the framework of the UPR 2nd cycle (2012 to 2016).

The national report of Greece presents the developments with regard to the protection and promotion of human rights in the country since 2011, the year of Greece’s first review. It is stated in the report that the first National Action Plan on Human Rights, covering the period 2014-2016, has been prepared, under the coordination of the Ministry of Justice, Transparency and Human Right, and a National Action Plan on the Rights of the Child is being elaborated. The report mentions the achievements, challenges and constraints as regards of the implementation of the recommendations accepted by Greece at the end of the first cycle of the UPR, and also the national priorities, initiatives and commitments Greece has undertaken and intends to undertake to improve human rights situation on the ground. Under the title “Rights of persons belonging to minorities”, the Turkish minority of Western Thrace is referred as the “Muslim minority in Thrace”, and it is claimed that during the reporting period, Greece has continued to implement measures to protect and promote the rights of the minority.

Written contribution by ABTTF on Greece in the summary report of UPR

The written contribution on the rights and problems of the Turkish minority of Western Thrace the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) submitted on 21 September 2015 within the framework of the second cycle of the UPR (2012 to 2016) has been included in the summary of stakeholders’ information. In its contribution, ABTTF had reflected the state of implementation of the recommendations with regard to the Turkish minority that Greece had accepted at the end of first review. ABTTF had mentioned the problem concerning the minority Muftis, non-recognition by Greece of the minority’s ethnic Turkish identity and violation of its right to freedom of association, and referred also to the problems in the field of minority education. ABTTF had called on Greece to respect its obligations arising from the Peace Treaty of Lausanne and to take immediate measures to restore the autonomous structure of the Turkish minority in the fields of education and religion, and urged it to establish a mechanism for dialogue between the governmental authorities and the Turkish minority in the form of advisory or consultative bodies to be the channel for the minority to raise its own voice.

The full text versions of the national report of Greece and summary of stakeholders’ information within the framework of the second cycle of the UPR are available at:
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G16/032/55/PDF/G1603255.pdf?OpenElement
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G16/032/46/PDF/G1603246.pdf?OpenElement