03/11/2022

Fourth cycle of the UPR starts on Monday

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The 41st session of the of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) will be held in Geneva from 7 to 18 November 2022 and it will mark the beginning of the 4th cycle (November 2022-January 2027). 

UPR Info will be live tweeting the 41st UPR Working Group session. The fourteen States to be reviewed during this session are Algeria, Bahrain, Brazil, Ecuador, Finland, India, Indonesia, Morocco, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Tunisia, and the United Kingdom. The calendar of the 41st session is available here. The meeting will take place in Room XX at the Palais des Nations in Geneva and will be webcast live.

In the fourth cycle States are expected to clearly outline the steps they have taken to implement recommendations received during their previous reviews, present the positive developments and share challenges in their follow-up action. “It is my strong belief that the UPR is a most effective mechanism to advance human rights, yet this will be possible if there is a focus on implementation of the recommendations accepted by the State from the time of the adoption of the UPR outcome in the HRC”, stated Federico Villegas, President of the Human Rights Council (HRC) in a letter sent to States on 2nd November.  The letter recalled some existing rules and practices regarding the sessions and reports of the UPR Working Group.

The President of the HRC also shared some examples of good practices by States in the  implementation phase of the UPR process such as: the establishment of an effective National Mechanisms for Reporting and Follow up (NMRF); a regular dialogue among all branches of the government and other stakeholders, including civil society and NHRIs; the effective integration of human rights implementation plans with efforts at the SDGs - including through the VNRs; the submission of voluntary mid-term reports; and finally, the enhancement of technical cooperation with UN System and bilateral actors, in particular recommending States.

On the beginning of the 4th cycle, he recalled some rules and practices regarding the sessions and working groups on the UPR, notably the fact that this mechanism aims to improve the human rights situation on the ground and therefore political and territorial issues should not be discussed. He also mentioned the protocol on the preparation of recommendations.

The UPR is a mechanism that has proven its worth over the past three cycles, notably by showing its adaptability in developing hybrid ways of working to compensate for the arrival of covid-19 and has helped to advance human rights in 193 countries in an equitable manner.

During the third cycle, the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) developed tools to facilitate the follow-up of UPR recommendations, including a practical guide and a repository of good practice toolkit. The Voluntary Fund of Implementation also provides financial support for the implementation of the recommendations.