MWE Correspondent
Tanzania has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting and protecting human rights, with the government highlighting progress in access to justice, education, healthcare, infrastructure and women’s empowerment during the country’s fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations in Geneva.
The Minister for Constitution and Legal Affairs, Abdallah Ulega, presented Tanzania’s national statement on November 5, 2026, before the UPR Working Group during its 53rd session, taking place from November 2 to 13.
Ulega said Tanzania remained committed to strengthening civil and political rights, democratic participation, fundamental freedoms and access to justice.
He attributed the government’s human rights agenda to the Four Rs philosophy of Reconciliation, Resilience, Reforms and Rebuilding, under the leadership of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
He also called for international partners to respect Tanzania’s sovereignty and legal processes, stressing that cooperation on human rights should be based on constructive dialogue, mutual respect and shared responsibility.
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“We recognise the importance of continued reforms, strengthening institutions and ensuring accountability across all sectors, guided by Tanzania Development Vision 2050 and the principle of leaving no one behind,” Ulega said.
Highlighting progress in economic and social rights, Ulega pointed to major infrastructure investments, including the construction of more than 700 kilometres of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project, which has an installed generation capacity of 2,115 megawatts.
He said all 12,318 villages in Mainland Tanzania had been connected to electricity, while national electricity access had reached approximately 79.5 percent.
Investments across various productive sectors had also contributed to the creation of more than 4.2 million employment opportunities.
In education, the minister said government spending had increased from approximately TSh 5.6 trillion in the 2022/23 financial year to TSh 6.3 trillion in 2025/26.
He highlighted the continued provision of fee-free basic education and programmes allowing students who had dropped out of school to resume their studies, including girls whose education had been interrupted by pregnancy.
In healthcare, the number of health facilities in Mainland Tanzania increased from 8,458 in 2022 to more than 10,000 in 2026.
Antenatal care coverage reached 98 percent, while the proportion of women delivering in health facilities increased from 83 percent to 98 percent.
The maternal mortality ratio declined from 197 to 104 deaths per 100,000 live births, while neonatal mortality fell from 25 to 19 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Ulega also highlighted improvements in women’s participation in leadership and access to economic resources.
Women’s representation in Parliament reached 39.3 percent in 2025, while their representation in the judiciary stood at 36.5 percent.
The proportion of women with land ownership rights also increased from 28.5 percent in 2020 to 35 percent in 2025.
Addressing the implementation of recommendations from the previous UPR cycle in 2021, Ulega said Tanzania received 252 recommendations, accepted 187, including 20 partially accepted recommendations, while 65 were not supported by the government.
He said the accepted recommendations had guided various reforms and initiatives undertaken during the review period.
The minister reaffirmed Tanzania’s willingness to engage with other UN member states, exchange experiences and consider constructive recommendations as the country continues efforts to strengthen human rights protection and institutional accountability.
