Geneva: United Nations Human Rights Council member states reviewed Sierra Leone's rights record during its fourth-cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva. Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Alpha Sesay led the delegation, with Ghana, Republic of Korea, and Spain serving as troika rapporteurs. According to Sierra Leone News Agency, the government highlighted reforms since the May 2021 review, such as the abolition of the death penalty in 2022, and reaffirmed its commitment to ratifying the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights for the permanent abolition of capital punishment. The Criminal Procedure Act 2024, effective September 2025, was presented as the most significant criminal justice reform in over sixty years. Officials stated that it streamlines court procedures, expands non-custodial sentences, and strengthens protections for victims, persons with disabilities, and older people. Under the Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Act 2022, w omen's parliamentary representation exceeded 30 percent, a threshold the government intends to retain in a proposed new constitution. The Child Rights Act 2025 set the universal age of criminal responsibility at 14 years. In health, authorities noted progress through over 1,600 expanded health facilities, reduced maternal mortality, and improved adolescent services. The Free Quality School Education Programme increased school enrolment, especially among girls. Sierra Leone also advocated for a proposed Fourth Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to recognise a global right to free education. Persisting challenges acknowledged include prison overcrowding, judicial delays, high adolescent pregnancy rates, and climate change impacts on vulnerable coastal communities. Attorney-General Sesay reiterated Sierra Leone's position that climate change constitutes a human rights issue and called the UPR a key platform for accountability and strengthening national human rights systems. He ment ioned that the government presented progress in good faith, including constitutional, legal, and policy reforms, and that UN recommendations would guide future implementation. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Frances Piagie Alghali detailed the report's preparation, noting a national validation process in January 2026 involving government bodies, civil society, independent commissions, and development partners. Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Dr. Lansana Gberie, reaffirmed the country's UPR commitment ahead of the Working Group's adoption of recommendations on 15 May 2026.