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UN Universal Periodic Review - UPR

UPR Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXhTAfBmhbQ&feature=player_embedded

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THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW OF 

COUNTRIES IS AN IMPORTANT MECHANISM/OPPORTUNITY FOR NGO'S TO

REVIEW GENDER COMPONENTS OF INDIVIDUAL COUNTRY UPR REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS.

 

THE FINAL REPORTS OF THE UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW WORKING GROUP MAY CONTAIN GENDER FOCUSED TEXT THAT CAN BE VERY

USEFUL IN NGO ADVOCACY.

 

SHADOW REPORTS PRESENTED DURING THE UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW CAN BE HIGHLY INFORMATIVE.

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UN UPR Website: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/UPRMain.aspx

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IWRAW Asia Pacific - http://www.iwraw-ap.org/ - encourage women’s organisations and NGOs advancing women’s human rights through their engagement on promotion and implementation of the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) to lobby and influence the Universal Periodic Review conducted by the UN Human Rights Council.

 

IWRAW Asia Pacific supports women’s organisations and NGOs interested in lobbying at the Universal Periodic Review process held in Geneva, for advancement of women’s human rights through the UPR including the implementation of CEDAW. Please let us know if you are planning to engage in the process, and we hope we can support your work including through sharing further information on how to engage in the process. Contact: iwraw-ap@iwraw-ap.org, iwraw_ap@yahoo.com

 

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NGO Engagement with the Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council

 

 

What is the UPR?

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 by the other member States of the Human Rights Council. 48 countries will be reviewed each year.

 

How can NGOs engage in the UPR?

 

NGOs can provide written submissions for the UPR, by sending it to the Secretariat (OHCHR). The OHCHR will then compile your information into a 10 page summary.

 

This summary prepared by OHCHR will comprise of "credible and reliable information" received from "relevant stakeholders" (besides NGOs and civil society organizations, this includes National Human Rights Institutions). 

 

What is the DEADLINE for submitting information?

 

Submissions in relation to the 16 countries scheduled to be reviewed at the tenth session of the Working Group on the UPR (January 2011) should be sent to uprsubmissions@ohchr.org by:

  • 5 July 2010 for submissions on Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Prinicpe, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal; and
  • 12 July 2010 for submissions on Oman, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Australia, Austria, Estonia and Georgia.

 

Submissions in relation to the 16 countries scheduled to be reviewed at the eleventh session of the Working Group on the UPR (May 2011) should be sent to uprsubmissions@ohchr.org by:

  • 1 November 2010 for submissions on Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Singapore; and
  • 8 November 2010 for submissions on Salomon Islands, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Hungary and Latvia.

 

Submissions in relation to the 16 countries scheduled to be reviewed at the twelfth session of the Working Group on the UPR (October 2011) should be sent to UPRsubmissions@ohchr.org by:

  • 14 March 2011 for submissions on Swaziland, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand; and
  • 21 March 2011 for submissions on Timor Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Antigua and Barbuda, Iceland, Ireland, Lithuania and Moldova.

 

What other information will the UPR be based on?

 

There are three types of documents on which basis the UPR will be conducted. Besides the summary of information from “other relevant stakeholders” (above), the UPR be based on 2 other sources:

  1. State’s parties information in the form of a national report - in a document of not more than 20 pages.
  2. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) compilation of information contained in the reports of treaty bodies, special procedures, and other relevant UN documents, not exceeding 10 pages. 

What are the guidelines for written submissions?

 

■        Ensure your submission is within 5 pages. A more detailed and factual report may be attached for reference. In particular, 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. This is applicable when one NGO is sending its submission, and in situations where a NGO coalition wants to send information, the submission must be within 10 pages.

 

■        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. You have to ensure that the presentation of information is easy to read and accessible!

 

■        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;

 

■        The information covered should be a maximum of four year-time period.

 

■        Other relevant information to note:

 

Pledges by member states of the Human Rights Council – lobbying tool

In making your submission, we encourage you to refer to the pledge made by your government as a past or current member of the Human Rights Council. The pledge made by your government can be used as leverage and is a very useful lobbying tool at both the international and national level. You can find the pledges made by states at www.ohchr.org/english/

 

Working with the National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs)

You should note that the Human Rights Council is encouraging NHRIs to take a more active role in the UPR mechanism, in collating information and holding consultations with NGOs. That information is available here: http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/nhri_info.htm 

 

IWRAW Asia Pacific encourage women’s organsiations and NGOs to approach the NHRI in your country to find out at what stage they are at collating information.

 

Coordination with other NGOs

At the same time, we also urge that you to coordinate amongst NGOs nationally in collating and putting together information for the UPR. The OHCHR has limited time, resources and space in their summary to include your information. Coordinated submissions are therefore more effective. 

 

Who do we send the information to?

 

Submissions should be sent via email 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’).

 

For further information on the UPR process please visit the OHCHR website at

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/NoteNGO.aspx. You can also visit the following useful NGO website http://www.upr-info.org/ .





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