UPR Info · 2017. 9. 29. · UPR Trax [No. 77] UPR Info Newsletter September 2017 In-country...
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UPR Trax [No. 77] UPR Info Newsletter September 2017 In-country Pre-sessions: preparing for the UPR UPR Info in a nutshell Similarly to our work in September, this issue will focus on In-country Pre- sessions. This month saw many fruitful In-country Pre-sessions. Firstly in preparation for Ghana's review on 7 November 2017, UPR Info facilitated, on 6-7 September, the Ghana In-country Pre-session and Diplomatic Dialogue held in Accra (Ghana). From 11-15 September, in Colombo (Sri Lanka) and New Dehli (India), two In- country Pre-sessions organised, by the Civil Society Collective in Sri Lanka and UPR Info, ahead of Sri Lanka’s review on 15 November 2017. And in Botswana, an In-country Pre- session and Diplomatic Dialogue in Gaborone was held from 26-27 September, organised by UPR Info and the Botswana Centre for Human Rights. Aside from this work, UPR Info spoke at the Human Rights Council (HRC) Annual Discussion on the Integration of a Gender Perspective, monitored the adoption of all UPR27 reports, and delivered a statement at the 36th Session of the HRC to further stress the need for synergies between the UPR and the SDGs. Quote of the month "The Sri Lanka's UPR Pre-session was truly a very valuable briefing and very timely in our preparatory work ahead of the UPR in November." Ebba Littorin, Second Secretary, Political Affairs Embassy of Sweden Video of the month What is the UPR? Key Dates and Latest Documents In focus: In-country Pre-sessions What? The Pre-sessions were introduced in 2012, at the beginning of the second cycle of the UPR. UPR Info's Pre-sessions offered civil society an international platform to directly advocate to State delegations ahead of the UPR session; and aided diplomatic delegations in ascertaining information on countries’ human rights landscapes. The ultimate aim of the Pre-sessions is to ensure that the recommendations made at the UPR: 1) reflect the concerns of the rights- holders; and 2) are specific and action-orientated. Why? The aim of the In-country Pre- Sessions, held at in, or near to, the State under Review, is to provide a national platform for local civil society to brief the resident diplomatic community and the media on pressing human rights issues. These national human rights conferences reinforce the messages that the civil society organisations (CSOs) will make in Geneva. This gives further weight to the human rights issues that can be shared by the diplomats in attendance with both their State capitals and counterparts in their Geneva-based Permanent Missions to the United Nations. Preparing for the UPR of Ghana: listening to CSO voices Ghana is set to be reviewed at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on 7th November 2017. In preparation for this, on 6-7 September, 2017, UPR Info facilitated the Ghana In-country Pre- session and Diplomatic Dialogue that was held in Accra, Ghana. The meeting was co-organised by the POS Foundation, which currently serves as the Secretariat of the Ghana Human Rights NGOs Forum, in collaboration with KASA initiative Ghana, UPR Info Africa Office, the Office of the United Nations in Ghana, and The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA). The meeting, with the theme: “Diplomacy Meets Human Rights: Ghana’s Human Rights Record (UPR: A Process, Not an Event)”, was attended by over 50 CSO representatives and over 33 members of the Diplomatic Corp. Sri Lankan civil society in diplomatic talks ahead of review On 11-15 September 2017, the Civil Society Collective in Sri Lanka and UPR Info, organised a Pre-session week ahead of Sri Lanka’s review in November. With the overall objective to contribute to an increased number of action- oriented, specific and relevant recommendations, the week encompassed two orientation days and two In-country Pre-sessions; in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and New Delhi, India. State delegates also lauded the UPR Advocacy Factsheet s that the Civil Society Collective had developed and then presented at this event, with the support of UPR Info, and noted their usefulness in assisting them to phrase relevant UPR recommendations to Sri Lanka. Bringing CSOs in Botswana into the UPR process Botswana is set to be reviewed for the third time in January 2018, and in preparation Botswana CSOs submitted their reports to the UN Human Rights Council on 29 June, 2017. They are now committed to undertake coordinated and sustained advocacy towards various Recommending States. UPR Info, in collaboration with DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights - organised an In-country Pre-session and Diplomatic Dialogue in Gaborone on 26-27 September 2017. It is envisaged that with this event, the quality and number of recommendations made to the State of Botswana will improve and increase respectively; and possibly the number of recommending States will go up thereby enhancing the human rights situation in the country. The meeting will also provide an opportunity CSOs to lobby the diplomats on the issues that are of importance to them and act as a platform to prepare NGOs for the Geneva Pre-sessions. UPR Activities Annual Discussion on the Integration of a Gender Perspective An annual discussion on the Integration of a Gender Perspective was held on 15th September 2017 during which Mr. Roland Chauville (outgoing Executive Director of UPR Info) gave insights on challenges faced in addressing the issue of gender equality, as well as highlighting the role of the UPR mechanism and the strong linkages between human rights mechanisms and Agenda 2030. Greater links between the UPR and SDGs needed in the 3rd cycle The 36th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) saw the adoptions of the Final Working Group Reports of the first 14 States reviewed in the third cycle of the UPR. Following the adoptions Item 6: General Debate took place, giving States the chance to comment on the UPR mechanism and its modalities. This debate is also an opportunity for States to present an update on implementation since their review, ideally one year after and at mid-term, which Georgia, Iran, and Malawi did. Indian civil society organise nationwide screenings of UPR adoption On 21 September 2017, the Working Group On Human Rights in India and the UN (WGHR) facilitated the largest ever live webcast of the adoption of India’s third-cycle UPR. At least 245 screenings took place in nearly all states of India, including Chennai, Madurai, Puducherry, Bangalore, Trivandrum to Sonepat, Almora, Patiala, Sri Nagar, New Delhi, and many others. Nearly eleven thousand people gathered together to watch the Indian Government’s response to its international human rights evaluation. Key dates - Seminar on the Role of Recommending State at the UPR: 5 October 2015, 10:00-12:00, in Room XXIV, Palais des Nations - Pre-sessions UPR28: 10-13 October 2017, Timetable is available here - 28th Session of the UPR Working Group 6-17 November 2017 Please consult our UPR Info Calendar for more key dates. Latest documents UPR Session 26 is available in our Database Pre-sessions Calendar for UPR Session 28 What is the UPR? (Video) Follow us on FACEBOOK and TWITTER Copyright © 2017 UPR Info, All rights reserved. Promoting and strengthening the Universal Periodic Review www.upr-info.org Update your profile Unsubscribe from this list Read more Read more Read more Read more Read more
Transcript of UPR Info · 2017. 9. 29. · UPR Trax [No. 77] UPR Info Newsletter September 2017 In-country...
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UPR Trax [No. 77]
UPR Info
Newsletter September 2017
In-country
Pre-sessions:
preparing for the UPR
UPR Info in a nutshell Similarly to our work in September, thisissue will focus on In-country Pre-sessions. This month saw many fruitful In-countryPre-sessions. Firstly in preparation forGhana's review on 7 November 2017,UPR Info facilitated, on 6-7 September,the Ghana In-country Pre-session andDiplomatic Dialogue held in Accra(Ghana). From 11-15 September, in Colombo (SriLanka) and New Dehli (India), two In-country Pre-sessions organised, by theCivil Society Collective in Sri Lanka andUPR Info, ahead of Sri Lanka’s review on15 November 2017. And in Botswana, an In-country Pre-session and Diplomatic Dialogue inGaborone was held from 26-27September, organised by UPR Info andthe Botswana Centre for Human Rights. Aside from this work, UPR Info spokeat the Human Rights Council (HRC)Annual Discussion on the Integration of aGender Perspective, monitored theadoption of all UPR27 reports, anddelivered a statement at the 36th Sessionof the HRC to further stress the need forsynergies between the UPR and theSDGs.
Quote of the month "The Sri Lanka's UPR Pre-session wastruly a very valuable briefing and verytimely in our preparatory work ahead ofthe UPR in November."
Ebba Littorin,
Second Secretary, Political Affairs Embassy of Sweden
Video of the month
What is the UPR?
Key Dates and Latest Documents
In focus:
In-country
Pre-sessions
What?
The Pre-sessions were introduced in2012, at the beginning of the second cycleof the UPR. UPR Info's Pre-sessionsoffered civil society an internationalplatform to directly advocate to Statedelegations ahead of the UPR session;and aided diplomatic delegations inascertaining information on countries’human rights landscapes. The ultimate aim of the Pre-sessions is toensure that the recommendations made atthe UPR: 1) reflect the concerns of the rights-holders; and 2) are specific and action-orientated.
Why?
The aim of the In-country Pre-Sessions, held at in, or near to, the Stateunder Review, is to provide a nationalplatform for local civil society to briefthe resident diplomatic community andthe media on pressing human rightsissues. These national human rightsconferences reinforce the messages thatthe civil society organisations (CSOs) willmake in Geneva. This gives further weightto the human rights issues that can beshared by the diplomats in attendance withboth their State capitals and counterpartsin their Geneva-based PermanentMissions to the United Nations.
Preparing for the UPR of Ghana: listeningto CSO voices
Ghana is set to be reviewed at the Human Rights
Council in Geneva on 7th November 2017. In
preparation for this, on 6-7 September, 2017,
UPR Info facilitated the Ghana In-country Pre-
session and Diplomatic Dialogue that was held in
Accra, Ghana. The meeting was co-organised by
the POS Foundation, which currently serves as
the Secretariat of the Ghana Human Rights
NGOs Forum, in collaboration with KASA
initiative Ghana, UPR Info Africa Office, the
Office of the United Nations in Ghana, and The
Danish International Development Agency
(DANIDA). The meeting, with the theme:
“Diplomacy Meets Human Rights: Ghana’s
Human Rights Record (UPR: A Process, Not an
Event)”, was attended by over 50 CSO
representatives and over 33 members of the
Diplomatic Corp.
Sri Lankan civil society in diplomatic talksahead of review
On 11-15 September 2017, the Civil Society
Collective in Sri Lanka and UPR Info, organised a
Pre-session week ahead of Sri Lanka’s review in
November. With the overall objective to
contribute to an increased number of action-
oriented, specific and relevant recommendations,
the week encompassed two orientation days and
two In-country Pre-sessions; in Colombo, Sri
Lanka, and New Delhi, India.
State delegates also lauded the UPR Advocacy
Factsheets that the Civil Society Collective had
developed and then presented at this event, with
the support of UPR Info, and noted their
usefulness in assisting them to phrase relevant
UPR recommendations to Sri Lanka.
Bringing CSOs in Botswana into the UPR process
Botswana is set to be reviewed for the third time in January 2018, and in preparation Botswana CSOs
submitted their reports to the UN Human Rights Council on 29 June, 2017. They are now committed to
undertake coordinated and sustained advocacy towards various Recommending States.
UPR Info, in collaboration with DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights - organised an
In-country Pre-session and Diplomatic Dialogue in Gaborone on 26-27 September 2017. It is envisaged
that with this event, the quality and number of recommendations made to the State of Botswana will
improve and increase respectively; and possibly the number of recommending States will go up thereby
enhancing the human rights situation in the country. The meeting will also provide an opportunity CSOs to
lobby the diplomats on the issues that are of importance to them and act as a platform to prepare NGOs
for the Geneva Pre-sessions.
UPR Activities
Annual Discussion on the Integration of aGender Perspective
An annual discussion on the Integration of aGender Perspective was held on 15th September2017 during which Mr. Roland Chauville(outgoing Executive Director of UPR Info) gaveinsights on challenges faced in addressing theissue of gender equality, as well as highlightingthe role of the UPR mechanism and the stronglinkages between human rights mechanisms andAgenda 2030.
Greater links between the UPR and SDGsneeded in the 3rd cycle
The 36th session of the Human Rights Council(HRC) saw the adoptions of the Final WorkingGroup Reports of the first 14 States reviewed inthe third cycle of the UPR. Following theadoptions Item 6: General Debate took place,giving States the chance to comment on the UPRmechanism and its modalities. This debate isalso an opportunity for States to present anupdate on implementation since their review,ideally one year after and at mid-term, whichGeorgia, Iran, and Malawi did.
Indian civil society organise nationwide screenings of UPR adoption
On 21 September 2017, the Working Group On Human Rights in India and the UN (WGHR) facilitated the
largest ever live webcast of the adoption of India’s third-cycle UPR. At least 245 screenings took place in
nearly all states of India, including Chennai, Madurai, Puducherry, Bangalore, Trivandrum to Sonepat,
Almora, Patiala, Sri Nagar, New Delhi, and many others. Nearly eleven thousand people gathered
together to watch the Indian Government’s response to its international human rights evaluation.
Key dates
- Seminar on the Role of Recommending State at the
UPR: 5 October 2015, 10:00-12:00, in Room XXIV, Palais
des Nations
- Pre-sessions UPR28: 10-13 October 2017, Timetable is
available here
- 28th Session of the UPR Working Group 6-17 November
2017
Please consult our UPR Info Calendar for more key dates.
Latest documents
UPR Session 26 is
available in our Database
Pre-sessions Calendar
for UPR Session 28
What is the UPR? (Video)
Follow us on FACEBOOK and TWITTER
Copyright © 2017 UPR Info, All rights reserved.
Promoting and strengthening the Universal Periodic Review www.upr-info.org
Update your profile
Unsubscribe from this list
Read more
Read more
Read more
Read more
Read more
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