on domestic violence”, 6 which it accepted. Gender-based violence, particularly in a
domestic context can be exacerbated by gender discriminatory nationality laws, in
situations where women feel trapped in abusive relationships in order to ensure their
children receive the father’s nationality. Further, Togo received recommendations on
the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). For a full list of relevant
recommendations, all of which Togo accepted, please see Annex 1.
11. In the second cycle, during the 26th session, Togo received and accepted six
recommendations relating to birth registration as follows: from Slovenia to “ensure
universal birth registration and take the necessary steps to achieve universal primary
education and combat illiteracy”; 7 from Turkey to “take the necessary measures to
ensure that birth registration is obligatory and free for all children and to put in place
concrete measures to facilitate birth registration by extending the free registration
deadline and through multiplication of awareness-raising activities thereon”; 8 from
Namibia to “ensure that birth registration is free and compulsory in practice and
guarantee that children without a birth certificate are not deprived of access to
education, health care and other social services, in line with the recommendation of the
Committee on the Rights of the Child”;9 from Germany to “establish a functional registry
system reaching the whole population, by, inter alia, extending the time for free birth
registration and offering birth certificate establishment procedures for the
unregistered”; 10 and from Lebanon to “adopt laws guaranteeing compulsory birth
registration”.11
12. Togo also received numerous recommendations on gender equality and to combat
gender-based violence. 12 For example, the Ivory Coast recommended that Togo
“strengthen the national gender equity and equality policy”;13 Cuba recommended that
Togo “intensify its fight against violence against women and girls and continue the fight
against stereotypes”; 14 and Portugal recommended that Togo “ratify the Optional
Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women”.15 Togo accepted these recommendations.
13. In 2012, both the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination against Women expressed concern with regard to the right
to a nationality for children and women’s equal nationality rights in Togo. The
6
A/HRC/19/10, Human Rights Council, Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review on Togo,
1st cycle, 14 December 2011, Recommendation 100.40.
7 A/HRC/34/4, Human Rights Council, Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review on Togo, 2nd
cycle, 30 December 2016, Recommendation 128.26.
8 A/HRC/34/4, Human Rights Council, Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review on Togo, 2 nd
cycle, 30 December 2016, Recommendations 128.27 and 128.28.
9 A/HRC/34/4, Human Rights Council, Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review on Togo, 2 nd
cycle, 30 December 2016, Recommendation 129.13.
10 A/HRC/34/4, Human Rights Council, Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review on Togo,
2nd cycle, 30 December 2016, Recommendation 128.25.
11 A/HRC/34/4, Human Rights Council, Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review on Togo,
2nd cycle, 30 December 2016, Recommendation 129.12.
12 Please see Annex 1 for gender-related recommendations.
13 A/HRC/34/4, Human Rights Council, Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review on Togo,
2nd cycle, 30 December 2016, Recommendation 128.47
14 A/HRC/34/4, Human Rights Council, Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review on Togo,
2nd cycle, 30 December 2016, Recommendation 128.48
15 A/HRC/34/4, Human Rights Council, Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review on Togo,
2nd cycle, 30 December 2016, Recommendation 128.7
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