UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW UPR UNDP Human Rights and Justice Community of Practice meeting 29 April 2

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UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW (UPR) UNDP
Human Rights and Justice Community of Practice
meeting 29 April 2008, Geneva
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UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW (UPR)Outline

• UPR objectives and modalities
• Possible involvement of the UN system
• OHCHR support to the UN system

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UPR objectives and modalities (1)

• UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL (GA Res. 60/251, 2006)
• Subsidiary body of the General Assembly
• Consists of 47 Member States
• Responsible for promoting universal respect for
  human rights (HRs)
• Addresses HRs violations and contributes,
  through dialogue, to the prevention of HRs abuses
  
• Undertakes a universal periodic review of the
  fulfilment by each State of its HRs obligations
  and commitments (modalities in HRC Res. 5/1,
  2007)
• Serviced by OHCHR

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UPR objectives and modalities (2)

• The objectives of the Universal Periodic Review
  are (HRC Res. 5/1)
• Improvement of the HRs situation on the
  ground.
• Fulfillment of the State's HRs obligations and
  commitments and assessment of positive
  developments and challenges.
• Enhancement of the State's capacity and of
  technical assistance, in consultation with, and
  with the consent of, the State.
• Sharing of best practices among States and
  other stakeholders.
• Support for cooperation in the promotion and
  protection of human rights.
• Encouragement of cooperation with HRC, HRs
  bodies and OHCHR.
• UPR should complement and not duplicate other
  human rights mechanisms, thus representing an
  added value

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UPR objectives and modalities (3)

• UNIVERSAL
• Universal coverage of all Member States of the
  United Nations with regard to all human rights
• PERIODIC
• Every four years. 48 States per year, 3 annual
  sessions of the UPR Working Group of the Human
  Rights Council
• REVIEW
• Based, for each country, on three
  documents/reports

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UPR objectives and modalities (4)

• State report
• to be prepared by the State concerned, either
  orally or in writing, through a broad national
  consultation process
• structure general guidelines available (HRC
  Decision 6/102)
• not exceeding 20 pages.
• Compilation of UN information report
• Prepared by OHCHR information contained in the
  reports of treaty bodies, special procedures and
  other relevant official United Nations documents
• Includes submissions from UN entities and other
  UN sources, such as agency flagship reports,
  CCA/UNDAF
• not exceeding 10 pages.
• Summary of Stakeholders input report
• Prepared by OHCHR additional, credible and
  reliable information provided by other relevant
  stakeholders to the UPR
• Stakeholders include NGOs, national HRs
  institutions, HRs defenders, academic/research
  institutes, regional organizations, civil society
  organizations
• not exceeding 10 pages.

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UPR objectives and modalities (5)

• Review carried out by a Working Group on the
  UPR, composed of the 47 members of the HRC and
  facilitated by three of them (acting as
  Rapporteurs/the troika), appointed by the HRC
• 3-hour session for each State
• Presentation by State under Review
• Interactive dialogue (questions and answers) -
  only States
• Recommendations
• Conclusion by State under Review
• Working Group report submitted to the HRC
  plenary (one hour for each State, UN entities can
  make interventions) for adoption of outcome
• document (recommendations to be implemented
  primarily by the State and, as appropriate, by
  other stakeholders)

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Calendar 2008-2011
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• Calendar 2008-2011 for Europe and CIS countries
• 3rd session (December 2008) Turkmenistan,
  Uzbekistan, Montenegro, Serbia.
• 4th session (April 2009) Russian Federation,
  Azerbaijan.
• 5th session (May 2009) Slovakia, Former
  Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
• 6th session (December 2009) Albania.
• 7th session (April 2010) Kazakhstan, Slovenia,
  Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• 8th session (May 2010) Kyrgyzstan, Armenia,
  Belarus, Turkey.
• 9th session (December 2010) Bulgaria, Croatia.
• 10th session (April 2011) Estonia, Georgia.
• 11th session (May 2011) Hungary, Latvia.

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UPR involvement of the UN system (1)

• Resident Coordinators, UNCTs and other UN
  entities can contribute to different stages of
  the UPR process (liaise with OHCHR field
  presences, where available)
• Stage 1 Dissemination of information on UPR
• Stage 2 Preparation of the Compilation of UN
  information report
• Stage 3 Review process
• Stage 4 Follow-up

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UPR involvement of the UN system (2)

• Stage 1 - Dissemination of information on UPR
  process
• Assist preparation of State reports, including
  by sensitizing States on the importance of
  preparing them in a consultative and timely
  manner
• Reach out to national stakeholders (national HRs
  institutions, NGOs and other civil society) to
  explain the UPR mechanism as well as the
  importance of their contributions to the
  preparation of the State report and of the
  Summary of Stakeholders input report.
• Examples
• - The Resident Coordinator in Ecuador engaged the
  UNCT to assist the Government during its
  preparation of the State report by convening
  around 20 meetings with NGOs to raise awareness
  on the UPR process.
• - The UNDP Country Office in Bahrain engaged a
  consultant to assist the Government in the
  preparation of the State report.

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UPR involvement of the UN system (3)

• Stage 2 Preparation of Compilation of UN
  information report
• - Contribute information, from each UN entitys
  perspective/mandate, which has a bearing on the
  enjoyment of human rights in the States to be
  reviewed.
• So far, UN entities (including UN DPA, UNDP,
  UNFPA, UNICEF, UNHCR and UN-HABITAT) have
  provided more than 100 submissions to the
  Compilation of UN information reports, in
  response to letters sent by the High Commissioner
  to Heads of UN agencies. Submissions are posted
  on the OHCHR webpage, unless requested otherwise.
  UN entities can also forward their public
  documents.

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UPR involvement of the UN system (4)

• Stage 3 - Review process
• Share information with all stakeholders on the
  modalities of the review.
• Facilitate attendance of all relevant actors
  (States, national HRs institutions, NGOs and
  others, including UN systems representatives),
  including by
• supporting stakeholders to seek funding from
  bilateral/multilateral donors
• relaying information on National HRs institutions
  and NGOs attendance and accreditation to the UPR
  sessions.
• Facilitate local access to the review sessions,
  webcasted by the UN, by convening a targeted or
  public screening.
• Example
• - The RC in Ecuador attended the 1st session of
  the WG on the UPR, when Ecuador was reviewed. The
  RC was available to provide information on the
  activities of the UN and the Government in
  Ecuador, including the elaboration of the
  national development plan and the UNDAF.

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UPR involvement of the UN system (5)

• Stage 4 - Follow-up
• Ensure the translation and broad dissemination of
  recommendations adopted by the Human Rights
  Council.
• Encourage the State to follow-up on the
  recommendations, including by providing
  assistance in specific areas, as relevant.
• Encourage/facilitate the use of the
  recommendations by all relevant actors at the
  national level.
• Integrate the recommendations in the UN planning
  and programming instruments, including future
  CCAs/UNDAFs.

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UPR OHCHR support to the UN system

• Provide information on procedural issues
  regarding the four stages of the UPR process
• Provide briefings, information materials and
  training on the UPR process, including guidance
  to UNCTs interested in assisting States in
  preparing State reports, to the extent possible
• Voluntary Trust Funds
• to facilitate the participation of developing
  countries, particularly the Least Developed
  Countries, in the UPR mechanism (established)
• to assist in the follow up

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CONTACT

• UPRUNentities_at_ohchr.org