The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a new human rights mechanism involving a review of the human rights records of all 192 UN Member States once every four years. The UPR is a State-driven process, under the auspices of the Human Rights Council, which provides the opportunity for each State to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and to fulfil their human rights obligations. As one of the main features of the Council, the UPR is designed to ensure equal treatment for every country when their human rights situations are assessed. States are likely to make generic recommendations that build upon the UN human rights infrastructure (e.g. sign the 1951 Convention, fully implement the recommendations put forward by the CEDAW and CRC Committees, extend an open invitation to the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Migrants).
In preparation for each review, civil society groups are also able to submit reports on the human rights situation of their country, highlighting abuses over the past four years and it is important that they do so. A single organisation can submit a five page report while a coalition can submit a ten page report. All civil society reports received are then summarised by OHCHR into a final ten page report.
An important element to make the UPR Process work is for civil society to lobby states based in Geneva to ask the right questions, at least 3-4 weeks in advance of the session where your government is being questioned. Civil society groups often make the mistake of going to Geneva a day or two before the session and visiting embassies only then. This does not work, as the statements are drafted in advance, sent to the capitals of their countries for approval, before they are read out during the UPR session. It also helps to lobby embassies of these states in your own country, as the permanent missions in Geneva cross-check with their embassies in your country.
Submission deadlines for the reports are months ahead of time, so its important to check the deadlines if you are interested in submitting a report.
Amongst the states coming up for review in 2010 are Egypt (deadline for civil society submission already passed), Kenya, Lebanon, US, and Bulgaria. In 2011, countries under review include Nepal, Myanmar, Australia, Sudan, Greece, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Thailand and Timor Leste.
Click here for further official information on the UPR
Click here to download a calendar of countries being reviewed under the UPR in 2008-11
