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Universal Periodic Review

Universal Periodic Review

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique and comprehensive human rights mechanism.

It is universal – all 193 member States of the UN are subject to it. It is periodic: each State is reviewed every 4 – 5 years. And it is a peer review, where States see their human rights record analysed by other member States.

Started in 2006 and currently in its third cycle, the Universal Periodic Review is an opportunity for each State to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and to fulfil their obligations.

NGOs get to contribute at each stage of the process, and especially:

    • by submitting a report that will inform the dialogue and will be included in the OHCHR report
    • by making an oral statement when the government under review accepts or takes note of recommendations from other governments.

LATEST NEWS

ILGA World releases UPR Advocacy Toolkit…

Since its publication in 2017 this toolkit has been used by LGBTI human rights defenders worldwide to…

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“Be confident, be patient, fight for your rights”: UPR Advocacy Week, December 2019

In December 2019, human rights defenders came to Geneva for a week of advocacy around SOGIESC issues at…

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“Appropriate this place”: UPR advocacy week, October 2019

In October 2019, human rights defenders came to Geneva for a week of advocacy around SOGIESC issues at the…

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ILGA World’s Engagement

How ILGA engages in the Universal Periodic Review

ILGA acts as liaison between grassroots human rights organisations and the United Nations, and facilitates their work within the UPR of their country. We are there for human rights defenders in each stage of the process.

Before the session

  • providing personalised technical guidance on NGO’s submissions/reports
  • doing assessments on in-country advocacy with embassies in the specific countries
  • organising SOGIESC UPR Advocacy Weeks in Geneva.
    On such occasions, our staff assists human rights defenders in the preparation of advocacy papers, supports them as they draft oral statements to be delivered during the UPR-Info pre-sessions, facilitates meetings with diplomatic missions, and trains defenders on how to strategically conduct advocacy in Geneva.

During the UPR Working Group Session

  • monitoring each session, but also highlighting and sharing the relevant SOGIESC content with defenders

During the Human Rights Council adoption of the UPR Working Group Report and Addendum

  • assisting on drafting oral statements for the adoption of the UPR outcome (Item 6)

After the adoption of the report

  • advising on advising on how to implement the UPR recommendations and exchanging good practices with NGOs
  • supporting the drafting of mid-term reports by NGOs.

But that is not all: ILGA also organises trainings on the Universal Periodic Review. On these occasions, we provide general information on the UPR, and offer advice about how to write submissions, make in-country and Geneva advocacy, and implement recommendations.

Resources

UPR session 39 (November 2021) – summary of Geneva advocacy,…

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A comprehensive guide for Civil Society Organisations engaging with the UPR 

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Events

Universal Periodic Review – Upcoming Deadlines

To
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ILGA was more than useful for us: the support on the drafting of the submission, the in-country advocacy, the preparation of the meetings in Geneva was so great. (…) I think we are very lucky to begin our international advocacy work as a coalition with this experience that ILGA offered us

This is how LGBTI human rights defenders describe their work with ILGA during the UPR process