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Main title
Subheading The Universal Periodic
Review: Have your say on the governments human
rights record
About BIHR
We are an independent national charity aiming to bring human rights to life in the UK – in particular as a tool to promote social justice and tackle inequalities by:
• Raising awareness of human rights
• Building capacity with to use human rights „out of the
court room‟
• Influencing policy change
About the EHRC
• Ensure people are aware of their rights and
how to use them
• Work with policymakers, lawyers and the
Government to make sure that social policy
and the law promote equality and human rights
• Conduct official inquiries
• Work with employers, service providers and
organisations to help them develop best
practice
• Monitor human rights situation and
provide evidence to the UN
Civil Society Engagement in the
Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
Today’s Agenda:
1. To introduce the UN human rights system
broadly (overview) and specifically the UPR
process and upcoming review timeframe
2. To explain the importance of the process
and the key role the VCS
3. To stimulate discussion and ideas on key
human rights issues/concerns and how these
can be raised with the UN
4. Next steps and planning
Background to today
• UK Government being reviewed by UN next year-
Organisations can also join the submission . Opportunity to
hold UK government to account, raise concerns and give
recommendations
• Low levels of awareness amongst VCS of the rights
signed up to and the monitoring mechanisms
• The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)
has commissioned the British Institute of Human Rights
(BIHR) to build capacity encourage independent submissions
and discuss domestic impact.
– BIHR will hold three events: Cardiff (20 October),
Leeds (31 October) and London (2 November).
– BIHR will produce a submission from these events and
our core work. You are encouraged to join us or
submit your own
Why is this important?
Your chance to comment on the
Government’s human rights record!
• The information provided to the UN by NGOs
allows for specific recommendations for the
Government
• These recommendations can be used to lobby and
raise awareness of your issues.
• It requires advanced planning as happens every 4
years and requires regular monitoring in-between
Why are you important?
• The UPR can only consider issues brought up in
the review. It is therefore important that human
rights issues are exposed to ensure that the UPR
is as thorough as it can be.
• The VCS can shine a spotlight on gaps in
protection and tell the human stories behind the
issues, particularly of the most vulnerable.
• The human rights machinery will not work
properly without VCS cooperation.
• Your information can help to find solutions by
influencing the recommendations given to the
government by the UN working group.
Main title
Subheading The Universal Periodic
Review: Have your say on the governments human
rights record
The Universal Periodic Review
“…..to improve the human rights situation in all countries and address human rights violations wherever
they occur.”
• The UPR was created through the UN General Assembly
on 15 March 2006 by resolution 60/251,
• Involves a review of the human rights records of all 192
UN Member States once every four years under the
Human Rights Council,
• Assesses the extent to which governments respect human
rights including their obligations as set out in: UN
Charter, UDHR and Ratified Treaties
• 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.
What are the reviews based on?
It is a cooperative process based on:
1. Information provided by the State under
review, which can take the form of a
“national report”
2. Information contained in the reports of
independent human rights experts and
groups, known as the Special Procedures,
human rights treaty bodies and other UN
entities;
3. Information from other stakeholders
including NGOs (you/us) and national
human rights institutions (NHRIs).
Key UN roles in the UPR process
• UPR working group, which consists of the 47
members of the Human Rights Council, oversees the
review.
• The „troika‟, consisting of three country representatives,
act as rapporteurs and take written questions in
advance of the review as well as preparing the report
to be submitted to the Human Rights Council.
• The UN Office for the High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR), the UN body responsible
for promoting human rights and the secretariat for the
Human Rights Council, gathers and collates the views
of the voluntary and community sector and civil
society directly, as well as those of the a National
Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs)
Role of National Human Rights
Institutions (NHRI‟s)
• National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI)
are UN- initiated bodies whose role it is to
independently monitor human rights
• Accredited according to the Paris Principles:
UK has 3 A status NHRIs: EHRC, NIHRC,
SHRC
• Core principle: independence from
government, NGOs, business etc.
• Core duties: Monitor, promote and protect
Human Rights
What is the EHRC doing?
• Inform on and promote the UPR process (web
site, mainstream in our projects/events, BIHR
project)
• Encourage government to consult widely (advise
on, engage with and disseminate information on
the consultation process)
• Provide an independent evidence-based
submission to the OHCHR
• Keep momentum between the submission and
the examination
• Following up on recommendations
Calendar:
21st Nov: Deadline for NGO submissions:
Oct 2011- Feb 2012: Govt Consultation with NGOs
May 2012: Oral examination and review of UK
June 2012: The working group produces a draft outcome report and the UK has
opportunities to make comments.
June- September 2012: The working group submits recommendations and a summary to the full
Human Rights Council.
The UK government may produce a written response to each
recommendation known as the Addendum.
September/October
2012:
Presentation of the UK‟s UPR report
the UK response to the review and statements from the NHRIs and NGOs
with UN ECOSOC status.
The UPR report is adopted.
November 2012- 2016 Government has to raise awareness of the recommendations, implement them
and report on their progress in the next cycle (2016)
Civil society begin influencing using recommendations and monitoring next
phase
Mid- term review (from Government and NHRIs) due in 2014
Key points of NGO participation:
Report:
• Send submission
Influence:
• Participate in the Govt consultation
• Lobby member states (working group or
Troika)
Examination
• Attend examination (if ECOSOC status)
• Give oral statements after the examination
Monitor
• Monitor the implementation between reviews
Guidelines for NGO submission
“Additional, credible and reliable information”
1. Highlight key human rights violations or trends
2. Highlight good and bad practice
3. Give recommendations,
4. No more than 5 pages
5. In official UN language (English)
• OHCHR will prepare a summary of such information
• The reports will be used to inform
questions/recommendations
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Documents/
TechnicalGuideEN.pdf
Key themes from previous review:
2008
• Older people
• Asylum and refugees
• Freedom of expression
• Prisons/detention
• Counter-terrorism
• Disappearances
• Overseas territories and Armed forces
abroad:
• Missing themes?
Recommendations from 2008:
1: To set up a strategic oversight body, such as a commission on
violence against women, to ensure greater coherence and more
effective protection for women. (India)
8: Provide further information with regard to efforts to reduce
poverty among children by half by 2010.
17: To provide more care and attention to the rights of the elderly.
(Canada)
15: Harmonise its legislation with its human rights obligations towards
individual protesters exercising their freedom of expression and
opinion and to curtail excessive pre-trial detention.”
21. To protect the children and families of migrants and refugees
(Algeria, Ecuador);
Afternoon Session:
Focus Groups:
1. Discuss potential human rights
issues and corresponding
recommendations
BIHR‟s report structure
1. Respecting human rights: Highlight incidents
of breaches or violations of human rights e.g.
older people in hospitals or residential homes
not being properly cared for
2. Protecting human rights: Highlight issues
when human rights have been neglected, e.g.
police failing to take reasonable action to protect
potential victims of hate crime or domestic
violence
3. Fulfilling human rights: Highlight where laws,
policies or procedures need to be in place – or
are in place but are not being adequately e.g.
Lack of policies to ensure child poverty targets
met, withdrawal of Legal Aid, potential repeal of
the Human Rights Act*
EHRC report structure
Rationale – evidence, added value, new developments
Structure – These are the headings of the most recent OHCHR summary. The EHRC is going to use this template and focus on the first two headings for reasons of space
• Background and Framework– policy and legal issues • Promotion and protection on the ground – implementation
and reporting • Achievements best practices and constraints • Key national priorities, initiatives and commitments • Capacity building