UN Committee Examines Human Rights in Philippines

A United Nations (UN) committee on Thursday evening, September 29, concluded its two-day review of human rights in the Philippines, with topics ranging from indigenous peoples to the recent extrajudicial killings in the country.

The UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights reviewed the Philippines from Wednesday to Thursday, September 28 to 29. The committee is composed of 18 independent human rights experts.

Conducted in Geneva, the regular review is in line with the international Covenant on Economic, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which the Philippines ratified along with 163 other states.

The recent spate of drug-related killings was among a handful of other topics discussed by the 18-member UN committee.

The committee also tackled the following:

• Extrajudicial killings of human rights defenders
• The situation of indigenous people in the southern Philippines "as a result of an ongoing conflict"
• Land ownership issues involving indigenous people
• Investment efforts to tackle poverty
• Rights of persons with disabilities
• "Deplorable" working conditions in sweat shops "where mostly women worked"
• Protection of informal workers
• Forced evictions to give way to public-private partnership projects.

 The review of this UN committee comes as Duterte's war on drugs has killed at least 3,509 people. Of this number, 2,233 have died in extrajudicial or vigilante-style killings, while 1,276 have been slain in police operations.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime has raised concern over the recent drug-related killings in the Philippines.

Duterte, however, has slammed these international groups and personalities, saying they should not interfere in domestic affairs.

Source: CNN Philippines

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