UPR Info is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) headquartered in Switzerland. The organisation main goal is to raise awareness and provide see capacity-building tools to the different actors of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process, such as United Nations Member States, NGOs, National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI) and civil society actors. It was established in 2008.
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Founded | 2008 |
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Founders | Roland Chauville, Jean-Claude Vignoli |
Type | Non-profit NGO |
Focus | UPR Mechanism, UN, Human Rights Council, Human Rights |
Headquarters | 3, Rue de Varembé, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland Phone: + 41 22 321 77 70 |
Location |
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Area served | worldwide |
Products | Handbooks, Factsheets, Analyses, trainings |
Services | Pre-sessions, Follow-up Programme, database on UPR recommendations |
Method | Strengthening national human rights protection systems, supporting governments, institutions, and human rights defenders, leading and participating in coalitions for the UPR |
Key people | Mona M'Bikay – Executive Director Catherine Mbengue – President |
Website | upr-info.org |
UPR Info organises "Pre-sessions" before actual UPRs.[1][2][3] Over the years, the project[4] Aupports civil society organisations taking part in the human rights advocacy platform. UPR Info has released publications about the implementation of the Universal Periodic Review recommendation, and in 2012 the NGO shares that 40% of UPR recommendations have been implemented.[5] In 2014, it released "Beyond promises: the impact of the UPR on the ground",[6] and in 2016 "The Butterfly effect: spreading good practices of UPR Implementation",[7] studies on the results obtained by the UPR in the field. They were widely praised by NGOs,[8][9][10][11] States and institutions.
The material produced by the organisation, in particular its database that includes over 55,000 UPR recommendations,[12] has been used by several scholars[13][14][15] to document the UPR mechanism.
UPR Info launched in 2016, together with CCPR Centre, DOCIP, Huridocs, and Save the Children, an initiative called "We Pay Our Interns[16]" to promote a basic stipend for internships in Geneva.
Founders
editUPR Info was founded in 2008 by Roland Chauville[17] and Jean-Claude Vignoli.
Board and management
editSince September 2017, the executive director is Mona M'Bikay.[18]
From 2011 to 2015, Bertrand Ramcharan was UPR Info's first elected president.[19] From 2015 to 2022, Miloon Kothari was UPR Info's president.[20] Since 2023, Catherine Mbengue fulfils this role.
The board in 2023 comprises Prof. Edward R. McMahon, Ms. Hoa Nghiem, and Mr. Patrick Wall.
Award
editOn 27 March 2019, the organisation was awarded the prize for Democracy and Human Rights (Démocratie et les Droits de l’Homme) by the Parliament of the Federation of Wallonie-Bruxelles.[21]
Publications
edit- The Civil Society Compendium: A guide for Civil Society Organisations engaging in the Universal Periodic Review, in English, French, and Spanish, April 2017
- UPR Info Pre-sessions: Empowering human rights voices from the ground, December 2016
- The Butterfly Effect, Spreading Good Practices of UPR Implementation Archived 2020-02-12 at the Wayback Machine, November 2016
- A Guide for Recommending States at the UPR, September 2015
- Starting all over again? An analysis of the links between the 1st and 2nd UPR cycle, January 2015
- Beyond Promises – the impact of the UPR on the ground Archived 2019-10-03 at the Wayback Machine, October 2014
- On the road to implementation Archived 2019-11-05 at the Wayback Machine, October 2012
- Analytical Assessment of the UPR 2008–2010, October 2010
References
edit- ^ "Abolitionist NGOs lobby to educate UN member states in Geneva". 21 April 2015. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Universal Periodic Review: JFI will address the medicalisation of sexual orientation and gender identity at UPR Pre-session". 7 October 2014. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "UPR pre-session meeting on Armenia was held in Geneva". Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Frequently asked questions – UPR Process pre sessions – frequently asked questions – UPR Steps – English". UPR Info.
- ^ "Droits humains: l'examen oral s'avère utile - Le Temps" (in French). 2012-10-25. ISSN 1423-3967. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
- ^ "Beyond promises – The impact of the UPR on the ground" (PDF). upr-info.org. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-10-03. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
- ^ "The Butterfly effect – spreading good practices of UPR implementation" (PDF). upr-info.org. 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-02-12. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- ^ "UPR Info Releases Assessment – Disability Rights Promotion International". 21 November 2014. Archived from the original on 13 February 2016. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "The UPR Mechanism: Delivering Real Change – Universal Rights Group". 24 November 2014. Archived from the original on 14 February 2016. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Nepal: Zwischen Nothilfe und Neuordnung". Archived from the original on 14 February 2016. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "International Bodies and Mechanisms Working on Indigenous Issues". culturalsurvival.org. 2017.
- ^ "UPR Info's Database on UPR recommendations". UPR Info. Archived from the original on 2019-11-01. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
- ^ Caruso, Ugo (2014). The United Nations Declaration on Minorities: An Academic Account on the occasion of its 20th Anniversary. Leiden: Brill Nijhoff. ISBN 978-90-04-25155-7.
- ^ Asante, Molefi Kete (30 December 2015). Contemporary Critical Thought in Africology and Africana Studies. Lexington Books. ISBN 9781498530705.
- ^ Mendes, Errol P. (2014). Global Governance, Human Rights and International Law: Combating the Tragic Flaw. Routledge. ISBN 9781134443543.
- ^ "We Pay Our Interns". wepayourinterns.org. 2015.
- ^ "Summer interview – Roland Chauville, Executive Director of UPR Info – Genève Internationale". www.geneve-int.ch.
- ^ "Mona M'Bikay appointed new Executive Director of UPR Info". upr-info.org. 2017.
- ^ "Former Acting High Commissioner Bertrand G. Ramcharan elected President of UPR Info". upr-info.org. 2011.
- ^ "Miloon Kothari elected President of UPR Info". upr-info.org. 2015.
- ^ "Prix pour la Démocratie et les Droits de l'Homme". PFWB (in French). Retrieved 2023-05-13.