Sierra Leone has received international attention at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva following a robust presentation of its human rights progress during the country’s fourth-cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
The national delegation was led by Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay, who delivered a detailed account of major legal, institutional, and policy reforms undertaken since Sierra Leone’s last review in 2021.
Member States of the UN Human Rights Council examined Sierra Leone’s record, with Ghana, the Republic of Korea, and Spain serving as troika rapporteurs for the session.
Major legal reforms highlighted
Presenting the national report, the Government outlined significant milestones in justice and human rights reforms, including the abolition of the death penalty in 2022 and a renewed commitment to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aimed at permanently ending capital punishment.
A major highlight of the presentation was the Criminal Procedure Act 2024, which came into effect in September 2025. Government described it as the most far-reaching criminal justice reform in over 60 years, introducing streamlined court processes, expanded non-custodial sentencing, and strengthened protections for vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities and the elderly.
Gender, child rights and social reform
Sierra Leone also reported progress under the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act 2022, which has increased women’s representation in Parliament to over 30 percent. Authorities stated that efforts are underway to entrench this threshold in the proposed new constitution.
In addition, the Child Rights Act 2025 was presented as a landmark law establishing 14 years as the universal age of criminal responsibility.
Health and education progress
On social development, the Government reported the expansion of over 1,600 health facilities nationwide, improved maternal health outcomes, and strengthened adolescent health services.
In education, officials highlighted the continued expansion of the Free Quality School Education Programme, which has significantly increased school enrolment, particularly among girls across the country.
Sierra Leone also reiterated its global advocacy for a proposed Fourth Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to enshrine free education as a universal right.
Challenges acknowledged
Despite the progress outlined, the Government acknowledged ongoing challenges including prison overcrowding, delays in the justice system, high rates of adolescent pregnancy, and the increasing impact of climate change on coastal communities.
Attorney-General’s strong intervention
In his address, Attorney-General Alpha Sesay reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s position that climate change should be recognised as a human rights issue, a stance the country has consistently advanced in international legal forums.
He described the UPR process as a vital platform for accountability, peer learning, and strengthening national human rights systems, noting that Sierra Leone had engaged the review in good faith.
“The Government has presented its progress honestly, including constitutional, legal, institutional and policy reforms, while also acknowledging existing challenges,” Sesay stated, adding that all recommendations from Member States would guide future implementation in line with national and international obligations.
Broad national participation
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Frances Piagie Alghali, explained that a nationwide validation process involving government bodies, civil society organisations, independent commissions, and development partners was completed in January 2026 to prepare the report.
Sierra Leone’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Lansana Gberie, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to the UPR process as the Working Group prepares to adopt its final recommendations on 15 May 2026.
