The 49th Session of the UPR Working Group, Review of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Statement by Mr. TAKEUCHI Yasuaki (2 May 2025)

　Thank you, Madam Vice-President.

   Japan warmly welcomes the delegation of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau to this session.

   Japan welcomes the positive measures taken by Guinea-Bissau, including steps to regulate the Land Act to ensure equal access to land for all persons, especially women, and to ensure accountability for violations of land rights.

   In the spirit of constructive dialogue, Japan recommends that Guinea-Bissau:

1. continue and strengthen policies to uphold the independence of courts and other justice actors and to protect the right to fair trial;
2. continue and advance efforts to eliminate gender-based violence and discrimination against women and girls, with a view to ensuring the implementation of the relevant policies for which sufficient resources have been allocated; and
3. further strengthen measures to protect civic space by ensuring the fundamental freedom and right to freedom of expression, including through ongoing legislative reforms.

   We wish the delegation of Guinea-Bissau every success in this review.

   I thank you.