Elma Okic
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is the first international human rights mechanism to address all countries and all human rights.
This unique mechanism of the Human Rights Council sees the record of UN Member States reviewed by their peers every four to five years, with every State having the opportunity to ask questions or make recommendations to the State under review. The result of each review is contained in an ‘outcome report’, listing the recommendations the State under review is expected to implement.
Civil society organisations are able to feed in to this process formally, by submitting reports which are incorporated into a compilation prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and published in advance of the review, and can also lobby delegations directly as to the questions they should ask and recommendations they should make. Civil society also has a crucial role in monitoring and pushing for implementation of recommendations at the national level.
ISHR supports human rights defenders in their interaction with the UPR. We also publish and submit briefing papers regarding the situation facing human rights defenders in some States under review, and advocate for the UPR to be used as mechanism to support and protect human rights defenders on the ground.
Assa Traoré, a woman human rights defender and the sister of Adama, a victim of racially-motivated police brutality, has faced reprisals by right-wing extremist groups and the union of the police following her participation in the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
On Thursday 10 November, India’s human rights record came under scrutiny at the UN in the context of its Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
On Friday 11 November, UN member States have the obligation to scrutinise the government’s misleading claims about human rights when discussing Algeria’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the UN.
Sudan presented its report in the third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review. ISHR delivered a joint statement on behalf of MENA Women Human Rights Defenders Coalition, Sudan Women Rights Action and Nora Center for Combating Sexual Violence, urging Sudan to implement effective measures to guarantee the rights of protesters, women human rights defenders and the rights of women and girls. Furthermore, Sudan must accept and implement all recommendations.
The UN must continue its multi-pronged approach on Venezuela, civil society organisations and States urged during a week that saw a review of the implementation of recommendations made by the High Commissioner for Human Rights to Venezuela and the adoption of the Universal Periodic Review's Third Cycle report on the country.
On 1 July 2022, during the 50th session of the Human Rights Council, Uganda presented the outcome of its 3rd Universal Periodic Review. Only 54% of the recommendations given for review were accepted by Uganda and none of them were related to the protection of human rights defenders. Uganda can and should do better!
States should encourage Hungary to protect human rights defenders and civil society space through its forthcoming UPR, ISHR and TASZ said in a new briefing paper launched today.
The work to hold the Chinese government accountable for its commitments is more important than ever before. To this end, ISHR has developed a hands-on, multilingual guide to UPR monitoring and follow-up for civil society groups, halfway between its last review, and it's upcoming in 2023.
ISHR and the Burkinabe Coalition for Human Rights Defenders urge States to use Burkina Faso’s upcoming Universal Periodic Review to call for a better protection of human rights defenders and journalists in the country.
Defending human rights can be a tough and dangerous work in Peru, in particular for environmental and land defenders. ISHR, together with the National Coordinator for Human Rights (CNDDHH), urges the government of Peru to take all necessary measures to eradicate reprisals and acts of violence against human rights defenders.
Ireland should continue to make UPR recommendations and support UN resolutions on the protection of civil society space, the prevention of reprisals and the protection of defenders, says ISHR in advance of Ireland’s UPR in April 2016.
ISHR urges States to call on Tajikistan to combat impunity and ensure the protection of human rights defenders in a briefing paper launched today.
