Norway
Monday 4 November 2024, 09:00 – 12:30
Speaking time: 70 seconds
Statement by Iceland (no 42 of 102)

Mr. President,

Iceland welcomes the delegation of Norway and its national report.

In the spirit of constructive engagement, Iceland recommends the following:

1. Intensify efforts towards the prevention of gender-based violence against women.
2. Amend the definition of rape in Article 291 of the Norwegian Penal Code to ensure the inclusion of absence of free consent as a basis for establishing the crime, aligning it with international standards.
3. Integrate a gender-sensitive approach to violence against women into the design, development and evaluation of laws, policies and measures to prevent and combat all forms of violence covered by the Istanbul Convention.
4. Ensure that legal gender recognition, the legal framework, and legal procedures include a non-binary or third gender option.

I wish Norway all success for its review.

I thank you.

 

Albania
Monday 4 November 2024, 14:30-18:00
Speaking time: 95 seconds
Statement by Iceland (no 32 of 81)

Mr. President,

Iceland welcomes the delegation of Albania and its national report.

In the spirit of constructive engagement, Iceland recommends the following:

1. Adopt comprehensive legislation criminalizing all forms of gender-based violence, including femicide and cyberviolence.
2. Incorporate a definition of rape based on lack of consent into the Criminal Code and ensure that criminal legislation is wholly aligned with international standards.
3. Ensure legal recognition of gender identity based on the self-determination principle and allow individuals to update their official documents to reflect their gender identity without necessary medical or legal barriers.
4. Guarantee equal rights for same-sex partnerships through legislative measures.
5. Ban all non-consensual and non-therapeutic surgeries on intersex infants and ensure their right to bodily autonomy and integrity.
6. Criminalize hate speech and hate crimes against persons of diverse SOGIESC and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.

I wish Albania all success for its review.

I thank you.

 

Democratic Republic of the Congo
Tuesday 5 November 2024, 9:00-12:30
Speaking time: 70 seconds
Statement by Iceland (no 46 of 102)

Mr. President,

Iceland welcomes the delegation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its national report.

In the spirit of constructive engagement, Iceland recommends the following:

1. Abolish the death penalty and ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR.
2. Take urgent measures to prevent, address and ensure accountability for sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls, including in conflict situations.
3. Resource and implement the revised action plan to end child marriage.
4. Ensure that no one is prosecuted by reason of sexual orientation or gender identity, including under Article 176 of the Criminal Code.
5. Establish national policies to protect persons of diverse SOGIESC from discrimination and repeal all discriminatory legislation that infringes upon their human rights.

I wish the DRC all success for its review.

I thank you.

 

Côte d’Ivoire
Tuesday 5 November 2024, 14:30 – 18:00
Speaking time: 75 seconds
Statement by Iceland (no 66 of 100)

Mr. President,

Iceland welcomes the delegation of Côte d’Ivoire and its national report.

In the spirit of constructive engagement, Iceland recommends the following:

1. Adopt a comprehensive law to prevent, combat and punish all forms of gender-based violence.
2. Enact laws that criminalize all forms of domestic violence and amend the Criminal Code to define marital rape based on lack of freely given consent.
3. Decriminalize abortion under all circumstances and strengthen measures to ensure access to safe abortion and post-abortion services.
4. Ensure access to information on sexual and reproductive health and rights and introduce SRHR education to school curricula.
5. Provide legal gender recognition to transgender people and add an “other” category into administrative documents together with masculine/feminine.

I wish Côte d’Ivoire all success for its review.

I thank you.

 

Portugal
Wednesday 6 November 2024, 09:00 – 12:30
Speaking time: 70 seconds
Statement by Iceland (no 68 of 103)

Mr. President,

Iceland welcomes the delegation of Portugal and its national report.

In the spirit of constructive engagement, Iceland recommends the following:

1. Ensure the effective implementation of the Action Plan on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.
2. Revise the Criminal Code to encompass all forms of cyberviolence, classify rape as a public crime and femicide as a distinct crime, and amend the definition of rape by replacing ‘cognisable will’ with ‘consent.’
3. Raise the minimum age of marriage to 18, without any exceptions.
4. Amend the constitution to include legal protections for sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics.
5. Ensure that the legal framework and procedures on legal gender recognition include a non-binary or third gender option.

I wish Portugal all success for its review.

I thank you.

 

Bhutan
Wednesday 6 November 2024, 14:30-18:00
Speaking time: 95 seconds
Statement by Iceland (no 72 of 78)

Mr. President,

Iceland welcomes the delegation of Bhutan and its national report.

In the spirit of constructive engagement, Iceland recommends the following:

1. Ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR.
2. Decriminalize abortion under all circumstances.
3. Align the classification of marital rape in the Penal Code with the classification of rape outside marriage and allocate sufficient resources to ensure the comprehensive protection of victims of gender-based violence.
4. Ensure access to reproductive health and family planning services for all, including persons of diverse SOGIESC.
5. Review the Marriage Act of 1980 to ensure it reflects the rights and needs of all, including persons of diverse SOGIESC.

I wish Bhutan all success for its review.

I thank you.

 

Dominica
Thursday 7 November 2024, 09:00-12:30
Speaking time: 120 seconds
Statement by Iceland (no 22 of 65)

Mr. President,

Iceland welcomes the delegation of Dominica and its national report.

In the spirit of constructive engagement, Iceland recommends the following:

1. Abolish the death penalty and ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR.
2. Decriminalize abortion under all circumstances and remove all restrictions to access to safe abortion services.
3. Ensure that the minimum age of marriage is set at 18 with no exceptions.
4. Amend the Domestic Violence Act to explicitly define rape based on the lack of freely given consent and to apply the same definition to both marital and non-marital rape.
5. Develop a National Strategic Action Plan to combat gender-based violence and ratify the Optional Protocol to CEDAW.
6. Adopt comprehensive legislation to protect people of diverse SOGIESC from all forms of discrimination.

I wish Dominica all success for its review.

I thank you.

 

Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Thursday 7 November 2024, 14:30-18:00
Speaking time: 80 seconds
Statement by Iceland (no 2 of 92)

Mr. President,

Iceland welcomes the delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and its national report.

In the spirit of constructive engagement, Iceland recommends the following:

1. Abolish the death penalty for all crimes and ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR.
2. Criminalize all forms of gender-based violence against women, establish effective protection and reporting mechanisms, and ensure that the perpetrators of such violence are prosecuted.
3. Enact laws that prohibit discrimination against women as defined in CEDAW and eliminate gender-based discrimination in social institutions and practices.
4. Introduce Comprehensive Sexuality Education into the general education curriculum.
5. Acknowledge the existence of persons of diverse SOGIESC, address discrimination and violence against these groups, and provide them with comprehensive legal protection.

I wish the DPRK all success for its review.

I thank you.

 

Brunei Darussalam
Friday 8 November 2024, 09:00 – 12:30
Speaking time: 80 seconds
Statement by Iceland (no 9 of 91)

Mr. President,

Iceland welcomes the delegation of Brunei Darussalam and its national report.

In the spirit of constructive engagement, Iceland recommends the following:

1. Abolish the death penalty and ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR.
2. Decriminalize abortion under all circumstances.
3. Ensure robust protections in the definition of rape and criminalize all non-consensual acts, including those involving authority figures.
4. Adopt a comprehensive law that criminalizes all forms of domestic violence, ensuring clear protection for victims, including access to justice and support services.
5. Decriminalize same-sex relations between consenting adults.
6. Repeal all laws that discriminate against persons of diverse SOGIESC.

I wish Brunei Darussalam all success for its review.

I thank you.

 

Costa Rica
Monday 11 November 2024, 09:00 – 12:30
Speaking time: 75 seconds
Statement by Iceland (no 41 of 100)

Mr. President,

Iceland welcomes the delegation of Costa Rica and its national report.

In the spirit of constructive engagement, Iceland recommends the following:

1. Allocate sufficient resources to the comprehensive implementation of the National Policy for Addressing and Preventing Violence against Women of All Ages and ensure the full implementation of Act No. 9406.
2. Decriminalize abortion under all circumstances and ensure unrestricted access to reproductive health services.
3. Ban „conversion therapies.“
4. Respect the right of intersex persons to self-determination and ban medically unnecessary surgeries.
5. Pass comprehensive legislation to protect persons of diverse SOGIESC from discrimination.

I wish Costa Rica all success for its review.

I thank you

 

Equatorial Guinea
Monday 11 November 2024, 14:30-18:00
Speaking time: 90 seconds
Statement by Iceland (no 32 of 81)

Mr. President,

Iceland welcomes the delegation of Equatorial Guinea and its national report.

In the spirit of constructive engagement, Iceland recommends the following:

1. Ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR to ensure the permanent abolition of the death penalty.
2. Adopt a comprehensive law to prevent, combat and punish all forms of gender-based violence, both in public and private spheres.
3. Decriminalize abortion under all circumstances and ensure access to sexual and reproductive health services and comprehensive sexuality education for all.
4. Ban “conversion therapies.”
5. Enact robust legislation to ensure effective protections for persons of diverse SOGIESC from all forms of discrimination.

I wish Equatorial Guinea all success for its review.

I thank you.

 

Ethiopia
Tuesday 12 November 2024, 09:00 – 12:30
Speaking time: 60 seconds
Statement by Iceland (no 104 of 119)

Mr. President,

Iceland welcomes the delegation of Ethiopia and its national report.

In the spirit of constructive engagement, Iceland recommends the following:

1. Abolish the death penalty and ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR.
2. Adopt a comprehensive and inclusive law on gender-based violence.
3. Decriminalize abortion and ensure the effective provision of sexual and reproductive services.
4. Set the legal age for marriage at 18 years and ensure the implementation of existing legal provisions that protect children, including the ban on FGM.
5. Decriminalize same-sex sexual relations between consenting adults under the 2004 Criminal Code and ban “conversion therapies”.

I wish Ethiopia all success for its review.

I thank you.

 

Qatar
Tuesday 12 November 2024, 14:30-18:00
Speaking time: 60 seconds
Statement by Iceland (no 47 of 110)

Mr. President,

Iceland welcomes the delegation of Qatar and its national report.

In the spirit of constructive engagement, Iceland recommends the following:

1. Abolish the death penalty and ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR.
2. Abolish the male guardianship system.
3. Adopt legislation to criminalize all forms of gender-based violence, including domestic violence.
4. Decriminalize abortion under all circumstances and ensure women’s access to sexual and reproductive health care services without guardian permission or a marriage certificate.
5. Decriminalize same-sex relations between consenting adults.

I wish Qatar all success for its review.

I thank you.

 

Nicaragua
Wednesday 13 November 2024, 09:00-12:30
Speaking time: 80 seconds
Statement by Iceland (no 84 of 92)

Mr. President,

Iceland welcomes the delegation of Nicaragua and its national report.

In the spirit of constructive engagement, Iceland recommends the following:

1. Ratify the Optional Protocol to CEDAW.
2. Expand the definition of femicide to ensure it incorporates all gender-based killings of women, irrespective of the relationship between the victim and perpetrator.
3. Decriminalize abortion and ensure access to sexual and reproductive health services for all.
4. Set the minimum age for marriage at 18, with no exceptions.
5. Amend the Family Code to recognize the rights of same-sex couples, ensuring equal legal protections and the right to family life.
6. Enact comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation to protect persons of diverse SOGIESC from all forms of discrimination.

I wish Nicaragua all success for its review.

I thank you.