WUNRN
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SECOND
SESSION OF UN UPR:
UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSAL PERIODIC
REVIEW (UPR) OF COUNTRIES/STATES
Deadline for Submissions for Second Universal Periodic Review 5-16 May 2008:
is JANUARY 14, 2008
Submissions should be sent by 14 January, 2008 to UPRsubmissions@ohchr.org
Second Session UPR - Universal Periodic Review - Countries:
Gabon, Ghana, Peru, Guatemala, Benin, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, Pakistan, Zambia, Japan, Ukraine, Sri Lanka, France, Tonga, Romania, and Mali
UPR NGO Submissions E-Mail: UPRsubmissions@ohchr.org
INFORMATION FOR NGO'S REGARDING THE
UN UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW MECHANISM - http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/upr/index.htm
In the title of your email – indicate that this is an NGO submission and indicate the related country (ies) (i.e. Submission by ‘name of NGO’ related to ‘name of country’ for session scheduled ‘indicate month and year’).
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http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/
UN Human Rights Council Website Homepage
The UPR mechanism is a new innovation in the UN human rights system, under which each UN member state will be reviewed periodically - at this stage every 4 years - on its human rights record.
48 countries will be reviewed each year, starting in
2008. The review will be carried out by a working group composed of members of
the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) that will meet three times per year
for two weeks and will be facilitated by groups of three States members of the
HRC which will act as Rapporteurs (or “troikas”) appointed by the HRC.
There will be three
types of documents on which basis the UPR will be conducted:
(1) WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS FOR THE UPR
Guidelines for the
Submission of NGO Information (released by the OHCHR) is ATTACHED.
Format:
(a) Ensure your
submission is within 5
pages. A more
detailed and factual report may be attached for reference.
(b) Be sure to
highlight the most
critical issues of concern and express a sense of priority.
Facts and details to support the priority issues, as well as possible
recommendations to be made to the country under review, may be annexed for reference to the
submission;
(c) Language of submission – It is recommended that you submit the
information in English, French or Spanish. The Secretariat may not have the
capacity to read and summarize contributions in other languages;
(d) The
information covered
should be a maximum of
four year-time period.
Content:
You may wish to
provide information on:
(a) The methodology and the
broad consultation process followed nationally for the preparation of
information provided to the UPR by the country under review;
(b) The current normative and institutional
framework of the country under review for the promotion and
protection of human rights: constitution, legislation, policy measures such as
national action plans, national jurisprudence, human rights infrastructure
including national human rights institutions;
(c) The implementation and
efficiency of the normative and institutional framework for the promotion and
protection of human rights described above in (b). This includes information on
the implementation of the country’s human rights obligations and commitments at
the national and the international levels (for example information on the
implementation of commitments made by the country under review at international
conferences and other UN fora; of constitutional and legal reforms aimed at
protecting human rights, of national action plans, of mechanisms and remedies
aimed at improving human rights); on the activities of NHRIs; on human rights
education and public awareness;
(d) Cooperation of the
country under review with human rights mechanisms, and with NHRIs, NGOs, rights
holders, human rights defenders, and other relevant national human rights
stakeholders, both at the national, regional and international levels;
(e) Achievements made by
the country under review, best practices which have emerged, and challenges and
constraints faced by the country under review;
(f) Key national priorities as identified
by NGOs, initiatives and commitments that the State concerned
should undertake, in the view of NGOs, to overcome these challenges and
constraints and improve human rights situations on the ground. This includes,
for example, national strategies, areas where further progress is required,
steps regarding implementation and follow-up to recommendations made by human
rights mechanisms, commitments for future cooperation with OHCHR and human
rights mechanisms and agencies, etc.;
(f) Expectations in terms
of capacity‑building and technical assistance provided and /or
recommended by NGOs through bilateral, regional and international cooperation.
NOTE: If you have recently submitted a shadow report for CEDAW or any
other treaty bodies, we recommend that you make an executive summary your
report (in 5 pages) and attach your report.
Deadline:
Submissions for the Second Session Universal Periodic Review should be sent by
14 January, 2008 to UPRsubmissions@ohchr.org
In the title of your email – indicate that this is an NGO submission and
indicate the related country (ies)
(i.e. Submission by ‘name of
NGO’ related to ‘name of
country’ for session scheduled ‘indicate
month and year’).
(2) NGO
PARTICIPATION IN THE UPR REVIEW IN
The UPR review will be conducted in one working group composed of the 47 member States of the HRC.
The UPR mechanism
allows for active participation and engagement from NGOs:
(a) NGOs may attend
the UPR review in the working group;
(b) NGOs will have the opportunity to make general comments before the adoption of the final outcome by the plenary of the Human Rights Council.
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