UPR_process.wmv

This video explains what is the Universal Periodic Review, a new human rights mechanism of the United Nations. It was prepared by UPR Info, an NGO dedicated to the promotion and strengthening of the UPR. Please visit our website www.upr-info.org for explanations, documents, news, analysis and a database on the UPR.

Text:

The Universal Periodic Review is a new and unique mechanism of the United Nations aiming at improving the human rights situation in each of the 192 UN Member States.

The UPR is a full-circle process comprising three key stages:

First, the Review of the human rights situation of the State under review

Second, the implementation between two reviews, that is 4 years, in the country of those recommendations by the state under review

Third, the assessment at the next review on the implementation of those recommendations and on the human rights situation in the country since the previous review.

Three main documents are used to conduct the review of the State:
- A national report written by the State under Review. In this context, the State must conducts a national consultation with the civil society in order to assess the human rights situation
- A compilation by the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights of information from treaty bodies, special procedures and UN agencies
- A summary by the Office of the High Commissioner of information received from national institutions and NGOs.

The review consists of three moments:

- First, the State is reviewed during three hours in a Working Group by other States. Those States make recommendations that is suggestions on how to improve the human rights situation. The outcome of this Working Group is a draft report containing those recommendations.

- Second, this draft report is adopted by the Working group 2 days after the review.

- Third, a final report is adopted again but by the human rights council this time a few months later.

The UPR is a universal process in several ways. First of all, as we have seen, it reviews all States in the world. But it is also universal in the sense that it concerns all human rights from civil and political rights to economic, social and cultural rights. Finally, it concerns everyone. States are reviewed by States but the civil society, national institutions, the media and the citizen have a great role to play in it.

To know more about the UPR, please visit www.upr-info.org

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Human Rights
• UPR
• Universal Periodic Review
• UN
• United Nations
• NGOs
• Civil society

[AKU2468]

It was an excellent informative video. I would, however, at the end also mention rights to solidarity, which get their sustenance from Articles 28-30 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They emphasize intergovernmental cooperation, such as commitment to the Millennium Development goals, humanitarian disaster relief, peace, self-determination, development, and the rights to the cultural and common heritages of humanity, like space, the oceans, and cultural and religious sites.