The United Nations Universal Periodic Review

The Universal Periodic Review “has great potential to promote and protect human rights in the darkest corners of the world.” – Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process which involves a review of the human rights records of all UN Member States.

The UPR is a State-driven process, under the auspices of the United Nations 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 fulfill 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. Information on Non Governmental Organizations like Friends of the African Union.

Contributions and participation of “other stakeholders” in the UPR (Last update: 17 March 2015)

Through the Universal Periodic Review, the Human Rights Council will review, on a periodic basis, the fulfilment by each of the 193 United Nations Member States of their human rights obligations and commitments.

A review of a State is based on a national report prepared by the State under review; a compilation of United Nations information on the State under review prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); and a summary of information submitted by other stakeholders (including civil society actors), also prepared by OHCHR.

The review itself takes place in Geneva in a session of the Working Group on the UPR, which is composed of the 47 member States of the Human Rights Council. The review takes the form of an interactive dialogue between the State under review and the member and observer States of the Council. At the end of each review, the Working Group adopts an outcome document, which is subsequently considered and adopted by the Human Rights Council at a later session.

(a) Contributions to UPR documentation by “Other Stakeholders”, including civil society and national human rights institutions

The UPR process provides for the participation of all relevant stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and national human rights institutions (NHRIs). Civil society actors and NHRIs can submit information which can be added to the “other stakeholders” report which is considered during the review. Information they provide can be referred to by any of the States taking part in the interactive discussion during the review at the Working Group meeting. NGOs can attend the UPR Working Group sessions and can make statements at the regular session of the Human Rights Council when the outcome of the State reviews are considered.

Stakeholders should follow the technical guidelines for stakeholders submissions issued by OHCHR, to send written contributions to UPR documentation.

Additional Technical guidelines for the submission of information by national human rights institutions (PDF) have also been issued by OHCHR.

Stakeholders’ submissions should be sent through the “On-line UPR submissions registration system” to register contributions for the UPR documentation from UN entities and stakeholders available (as of 4 March 2013) in the following link: https://uprdoc.ohchr.org and according to the deadlines below. Stakeholders should follow the Guidelines for the Use of the On-Line UPR Submissions Registration System“.

Important note: all UPR submissions must be submitted and received (through the On-line system for registration of contributions) not later than the day of the given deadline (11:59 p.m.). Late submissions will not be considered. Should organizations encounter technical problems using the new system, please contact the UPR Submissions Helpdesk through the following email address: uprsubmissions@ohchr.org.

(b) Participation of NGO’s in the UPR Working Group meetings and the regular sessions of the Human Rights Council

How to participate in a session of the Working Group?

NGOs in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) can be accredited to participate in the session of the Working Group as Observers.

Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31 of July 1996.

Check your NGO in the ECOSOC NGO database.

For information on how your NGO can apply for ECOSOC consultative status.

Quick links

1. NGO Information meetings: As Observers, NGOs are able to observe the proceedings without making oral or written statements at session of the Working Group, though may organize Information Meetings on the UPR process, with a view to sharing information and best practices.

2. A Practical Guide for Civil Society: Information about accreditation, attending the session, access to the public gallery, requesting a room for an Information Meeting, documentation and resources, participation in general, as well as the technical guidelines for stakeholders submissions can be found in the Practical Guide for Civil Society [Download: A | E | F | R | S] (PDF).

1. In accordance with the Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 (18 June 2007), resolution 16/21 (25 March 2011) and decision 17/119 (17 June 2011), the Review will be based on three documents, one of which is the national report prepared by the State concerned. Deadlines for States to submit the national report (to be submitted to the following email: uprstates@ohchr.org) which should not exceed 10,700 words, shall be officially communicated by the HRC Secretariat to the State concerned, indicatively 12 weeks before the session during which the review will take place (National reports not submitted within established deadlines will not be translated in the six official languages of the United Nations). For national reports deadlines, see Calendar of reviews for the 2nd cycle (2012 to 2016), available in http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/UPRMain.aspx

FAU was civil society in the Universal Periodic Review of the United States of America in 2015

The ten areas to be commented on that we will ask for our peoples help on these subject headings detailed by the US State Dept. in response to the UPR

(1) civil rights, ethnic, and racial discrimination;
(2) criminal justice issues;
(3) indigenous issues;
4) national security;
(5)immigration;
(6) labor and trafficking;
(7) economic, social and cultural rights and measures;
(8) the environment;
(9)domestic implementation of human rights, and;
(10)treaties and international human rights mechanisms.