ID: HR19-1089
Presenting author: David Ruiz Villafranca
David Ruiz Villafranca, Julie McBride, Ricky Gunawan, Giada Girelli
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process, implemented within the UN Human Rights Council, where the human rights situation of each UN Member State is reviewed every five years, and recommendations made for improvement.
Its participatory nature makes it an important opportunity for civil society to ensure governments are held accountable for their human rights commitments.
The UPR has spurred action in many countries on various issues, including HIV, health, and the human rights impacts of domestic drug policies. However, much more can be done to maximise the potential of this valuable process as a tool to protect and promote the rights of people who use drugs, and to link national and global advocacy.
Target audience: advocates, community representatives, drug policy experts, interested to know more about engaging with the UPR (and other human rights mechanisms). At the end of the workshop, participants will:
1. Have a clear understanding of how the UPR process works (its position within the UN human rights system, the key stages, and the opportunities for civil society engagement);
2. Identify action points and strengthen engagement with the UPR process with relation to drug policies;
3. Strengthen connections and identify possible advocacy partners around the 3rd UPR cycle.
Key topics and structure:
- Overview of the Human Rights Council and the UPR process, focusing on opportunities in the context of human rights and drug policy;
- HIV and the UPR, cycle 1 and 2: Key findings of a recent PITCH and Bridging the Gaps research;
- Sharing of first-hand experiences of engaging with the UPR process at the local and global levels;
- Training and group discussions: identify key issues and potential partners, develop SMART recommendations, engaging in the different phases of the process, UPR Pre-sessions.
Duration: 2½ hours