Geneva, Switzerland, Friday 15 May, 2026 — Sierra Leone has decided to defer its final position on the 310 recommendations received during its Fourth-Cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR) until the 63rd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council scheduled for September to October 2026.
Delivering Sierra Leone’s statement during the adoption of the report of the 52nd Session of the UPR Working Group in Geneva on Friday 15 May, 2026, His Excellency Dr. Lansana Gberie, Ambassador and Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone, thanked the UPR Troika,Ghana, the Republic of Korea and Spain,as well as the UPR Secretariat for their professionalism and support throughout the review process.
He also expressed appreciation to the 119 member states that participated in the interactive dialogue held on 12 May 2026, noting that their recommendations and questions reflected a constructive engagement on Sierra Leone’s human rights record.
Sierra Leone acknowledged the role of civil society organisations in the review process and welcomed the recognition by several delegations of the country’s progress in promoting and protecting human rights since its third-cycle review in 2021.
The decision to defer positions on the recommendations, according to the delegation, is borne out of the need to give the Government of Sierra Leone time to undertake a comprehensive and inclusive review of all 310 recommendations in consultation with line ministries, the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone, Parliament, civil society organisations, traditional institutions and other national stakeholders.
The delegation stated that the scope and complexity of the recommendations require broader domestic consultations to ensure that the country’s final positions are “responsible and implementable” within existing national policy and implementation frameworks.
Sierra Leone informed the Working Group that it will submit its final written positions on all recommendations to the UPR Secretariat no later than 31 August 2026 ahead of the 63rd Session of the Human Rights Council.
The delegation reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment to the Universal Periodic Review mechanism, describing it as an important process for advancing human rights protection and accountability.
“Sierra Leone remains committed to constructive engagement with the Human Rights Council, the UPR Working Group and all relevant human rights mechanisms,” the delegation stated.
The country also emphasized that the UPR process should lead to tangible and measurable improvements in the lives of Sierra Leoneans through the implementation of accepted recommendations.
For further enquiries, please contact:
*Mohamed Sheriff*
Information Attaché | Geneva, Switzerland
📱 +41 79 175 66 48
