www.rightsnow.ie
Summary• UPR Cross Sectoral Steering Group • What is the UPR?
• Women’s rights under the UPR • How can you get involved and next steps?
• Why is the UPR important?
www.rightsnow.ie
UPR Cross Sectoral Steering Group
• Collaboration between 17 organisations
• Ensure the voice of civil society is heard
www.rightsnow.ie
UPR Cross Sectoral Steering Group
• Information & awareness raising • Consultation • Submission of UPR stakeholder report• Lobbying• Working with government to implement recommendations
www.rightsnow.ie
What is the UPR? • UN Human Rights Council
• Political process between UN countries
• Examination of a country’s human rights record
• Every four years
www.rightsnow.ie
Human rights issues examined• UN Charter • Universal Declaration of Human Rights • UN human rights treaties • International humanitarian law • Voluntary pledges and commitments
www.rightsnow.ie
What is the outcome of the UPR?
Recommendations to the Irish government on how to improve the human rights of people in Ireland
www.rightsnow.ie
How does the UN Human Rights Council decide which issues to
address?
www.rightsnow.ie
UNUNCompilationCompilation
StakeholdersStakeholdersSummarySummary
National ReportNational Report
www.rightsnow.ie
4 Years4 Years
Ireland
Geneva
Ireland
Preparation for ReviewPreparation for Review(Now – 6 October 2011)(Now – 6 October 2011)
Ireland UPR Review:Ireland UPR Review:6 October 20116 October 2011
UPR Follow-Up:UPR Follow-Up:Implementation ofImplementation ofRecommendationsRecommendations
(2012 – 2016)(2012 – 2016)
Deadline to submit Deadline to submit National ReportNational Report
4 July 20114 July 2011
UPR Working GroupUPR Working Group adopts Outcome Report on Ireland:adopts Outcome Report on Ireland:
8 October 20118 October 2011
UN Human Rights Council UN Human Rights Council adopts Outcome Report:adopts Outcome Report:
March2012March2012
Deadline to submit Stakeholder ReportsDeadline to submit Stakeholder Reports21 March 201121 March 2011
www.rightsnow.ie
Wrap up on UPR Process• High profile political process between UN countries
• Examination of a country’s human rights record
• Other countries highly reliant on information from civil society
• Output is a list of recommendations
• Ireland’s UPR on 6 October 2011
• Deadline for civil society submissions is 21 March 2011
www.rightsnow.ie
UPR: Women’s Rights• Set up a strategic oversight body to ensure greater coherence and more effective protection for women (UK, 2 in total).
• Further address and enhance combating the root causes of discrimination, particularly of foreign migrant women, by removing legal and systemic obstacles to equal rights (Switzerland, 12 in total).
•www.upr-info.org
www.rightsnow.ie
How can you get involved?• Contribute to Your Rights, Right Now project•Send submission •Complete the survey (www.rightsnow.ie)
• Sign up to the Your Rights, Right Now report•Will be circulated early March and sent to the UN on 21 March
www.rightsnow.ie
Other UPR activities • Government consultations, www.upr.ie
• Irish Human Rights Commission, www.ihrc.ie
• Send a report directly to the UN, www.ohchr.org
www.rightsnow.ie
What happens next?• 4 March 2011 submission to the Your Rights Right Now report
• 10 March 2011, National Review event, Dublin
• 21 March 2011 stakeholder report submitted to UN
• Spring 2012 reporting back with recommendations
www.rightsnow.ie
Importance of UPR• Ireland’s international obligations
•Voluntary commitments
• Peer review process
• Framework for social change
www.rightsnow.ie
