Highlights its policies to ensure minors’ right to health and education «regardless of their legal status»
The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Diego Martínez Belío, led the Spanish delegation on Wednesday at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations Human Rights Council, defending before 114 countries the government’s social policies in areas such as equality, combating gender-based and sexual violence, as well as protecting migrant minors.
The UPR is a periodic review conducted by the UN to ensure compliance in different states with the international commitments made in the field of Human Rights. Spain, which underwent the review for the first time in 2010, will receive a report on May 2 with the conclusions of its second evaluation and the recommendations to be implemented, drafted by Iceland, North Macedonia, and Sudan.
A total of 114 countries have spoken and shown interest in various issues such as gender equality, gender-based violence, the rights of persons with disabilities, and the rights of migrant minors, as raised by the representative of Morocco.
Accompanied by representatives of the ministries of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Courts, Interior, Inclusion and Migration, Social Rights, Equality, Health, Education, and Housing, Martínez Belío opened the session with a speech structured around the recommendations received in 2020, focusing on the need to strengthen prevention and protection mechanisms for victims of sexual violence.
In this regard, reference was made to the reform of the Criminal Code to increase penalties for these crimes and the amendment of the Criminal Procedure Law to improve the care and protection of victims during judicial processes, as well as the Strategy to combat gender-based violence.
Throughout the session, other laws implemented since 2020 were highlighted, such as the Comprehensive Law Guaranteeing Sexual Freedom of 2022, the Efficiency in Justice Law of 2025, which expands actions against violence towards women, and «in line with recommendations from numerous countries, the drafts of the Law against Trafficking and Exploitation, approved in 2024.»
Regarding migration policy, a topic of interest for most participating countries, the Spanish representative mentioned the opening of new reception centers due to the increase in arrivals on Spanish coasts. Additionally, Spain’s representatives highlighted the humanitarian care and international protection reception system with around 65,000 spaces, as well as the creation of 17 new temporary stay centers.
Regarding unaccompanied migrant minors, the Spanish representative explained to the international delegations the national procedure of referring these migrants to the corresponding child protection service. «The Spanish criteria always prioritizes the best interests of the child, with child welfare agencies responsible for their care,» he argued.
As for accompanied minors, in response to the delegate from Morocco who encouraged continued efforts to ensure migrant children have access to their right to education and health, the Spanish representative referred to «actions supporting the right to health and education» for minors, «regardless of their legal status, considering human rights enshrined in Spain.»
It was also mentioned during the session, which lasted over three hours, the Reform of the Immigration Regulation that will come into effect on May 20 with the primary goal of «expanding and strengthening pathways to residency authorization, while also aiming to incorporate individuals from third countries into sectors in need of labor.»
Another aspect of interest to attending countries is the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia under the Ministry of Inclusion, which monitors hate speech on social media with racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic, anti-Semitic, and anti-Gypsy motivations.
DISABILITY
Regarding disability, the spokesperson for Social Rights of the Spanish delegation mentioned the amendment of Article 49 of the Constitution, which includes «a specific reference to women and girls with disabilities, introducing a modification in the Criminal Code to eradicate forced or non-consensual sterilization of legally incapacitated individuals.»
As for education, Spain referred to recommendations from countries like Togo, Ukraine, Armenia, Congo, Iran, Malta, or Slovenia, regarding the schooling of students in situations of socio-educational vulnerability, emphasizing that Spanish legislation urges «autonomous educational administrations to ensure the schooling of all children whose social or personal conditions imply an initial inequality in access and continuity in education.» The latest reforms that have helped reduce school dropout rates were also highlighted.
HEALTH AND HOUSING
Regarding health, reference was made to recommendations from Luxembourg, Denmark, and Uruguay on the right to voluntary termination of pregnancy, ensuring its provision in public health services, as well as recognizing the universality of the national health system that extends the right to health protection and medical care under the same conditions for applicants for international protection, temporary protection applicants and beneficiaries, victims of human trafficking or sexual exploitation, as well as foreigners.
Access to housing was another topic addressed during the session, highlighting the recently passed law, as well as an «unprecedented push for investment and support for housing rehabilitation efforts, as well as the construction of social housing.» In this regard, they estimated an investment of over 4.4 billion euros in the last four years, which has allowed the initiation of over 20,000 affordable social housing units.