aA In the context of the forthcoming Universal Periodic Review conducted by the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Seimas Ombudsman Augustinas Normantas presented relevant human rights issues at the Parliament

Paying interest to human rights issues, the Speaker of the Seimas (Parliament) Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen invited the Head of the Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office Augustinas Normantas, the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman Birutė Sabatauskaitė and the Child Rights Ombudsman Edita Žiobienė to talk about alternative reports submitted by human rights institutions during the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review as well as human rights issues.

The Seimas Ombudsman Augustinas Normantas drew the attention of the participants to the fact that the national human rights institution (the Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office) accredited at the United Nations has the opportunity to present an assessment of the situation and answer the UN Committee members’ questions related to the problems identified in the state report.

“The problems to be raised during the UN Universal Periodic Review are undoubtedly related to ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities, their access to social services, as well as human rights problems in social care homes. There are also concerns about human rights issues arising in the field of mental health care,” stated the Seimas Ombudsman during the meeting.

Among other things, the Seimas Ombudsman Augustinas Normantas also noted that persons who have experience domestic violence and persons belonging to minorities are still in a particularly poor situation in Lithuania. The Seimas Ombudsman acknowledged that there is also lack of positive changes in the penitentiary system and effective measures to curb hate crimes and hate speech.