- Statement delivered by Eleanor Sanders, the UK’s Ambassador for Human Rights to the UN.
- Occasion: Malawi’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
- Date delivered and published: 4 November 2025.
- UK welcomed Malawi’s peaceful election held in September 2025.
- Reported concerns: attacks by unidentified individuals on peaceful protestors in view of security forces.
- Reported concerns: citizens denied permission to demonstrate.
- Reported concerns: arrests and threats directed at journalists.
- UK urged that complaints of rights abuses be fully investigated by State institutions.
- Recommendations made to Malawi: repeal the death penalty from statute books.
- Recommendations made: adopt a national action plan to strengthen institutional protection of human rights, with emphasis on women and girls and protection against sexual and gender-based violence.
- Recommendations made: ensure refugees are allowed freedom of movement, work and education.
UK’s observations and concerns in Geneva
Delivering the UK’s intervention at the Human Rights Council, Eleanor Sanders praised Malawi for holding a peaceful election in September 2025 while also flagging recent incidents that undermine civil liberties. Her remarks listed specific patterns of concern: groups of peaceful protestors were reportedly attacked by unknown individuals even where security forces were present, organisers were refused permission to hold demonstrations, and journalists faced arrests and threats.
Core recommendations to Malawian authorities
The UK set out three principal recommendations. First, it urged Malawi to remove capital punishment from its laws. Second, it proposed a national action plan to reinforce institutional safeguards for human rights, prioritising protections for women and girls and measures against sexual and gender-based violence. Third, it called on Malawi to guarantee refugees the rights to move freely, to seek employment and to access education.
Call for accountability
Alongside those recommendations, the UK pressed for robust investigations into alleged abuses and for State institutions to uphold the country’s human rights framework without exception. The statement closed with wishes for a successful review process.
Context and delivery
The remarks were given in Geneva on 4 November 2025 as part of Malawi’s Universal Periodic Review. The text provided to the council was recorded as the speech delivered by the UK’s Ambassador for Human Rights to the UN.