10 May 2010, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has considered the combined second to fourth periodic report of Mauritius (E./C.12/MUS/4) on how that country implements the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Among the questions and issues raised by Committee Experts were the growing problems of intravenous drug use among the population which had led to an increase in violent crime and a surge in the number of HIV infections. The Committee also raised concerns about discussions in Mauritius to reinstitute the death penalty, which had been abolished in the country, in order to deal with the rise in violent crime.
Other questions related to measures to address injection driven HIV/AIDS (the primary driver of the epidemic in the country), discrimination against female drug users, and the impact of drug trafficking on employment.
The summary of the meeting is available at the website of the OHCHR
At an earlier session the Committee had also asked questions of the Algerian delegation relating to its drug policies, asking whether the policy was one of "criminalization or treatment"
Citation: OHCHR. 'UN Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights quizzes Mauritius on Drug Policy, HIV/AIDS and the Death Penalty' (The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, report E./C.12/MUS/4) 2010