UPRs

Universal Periodic Reviews (UPRs) are a process by which the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) reviews the human rights records of all its member states. This process was established under the United Nations General Assembly's resolution 60/251 in 2006, with the aim of promoting human rights and improving the human rights situation of all countries.

Each member state is reviewed every four to five years, and the UPR process involves several stages. First, the state under review is requested to submit a written report detailing its human rights record, including information on the implementation of previous recommendations made by the HRC. The report is then transmitted to all other UN member states, which are invited to submit their own comments and suggestions.

These comments are compiled and presented to the HRC in a report, along with the state's initial report and any comments submitted by UN agencies and other relevant organizations. The HRC also considers the recommendations made by member states during the review, and the state under review is expected to accept these recommendations and provide concrete follow-up actions in a future report.

The UPR process places significant emphasis on participation and dialogue, with a focus on ensuring the meaningful involvement of civil society, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and human rights defenders. The ultimate aim of the UPR is to promote human rights and uphold the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.