The ACHRS has participated in the Workshop and Public Event on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) o
The Amman Centre for Human Rights Studies is delighted to report that it had the pleasure to actively participate in the "Workshop and Public Event on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR)" organised by Rights and Democracy (Geneva) from the 8th of December to the 11th.
The centre was represented by the International Relations Unit staff, more specifically by Sadaf Hariri and Gloria Doñate, who were kindly ask to participate by the Director of the Arab Bureau for Human Rights, Mr Elobaid Elamin and by the Director of Rights and Democracy in Geneva, Ms Cynthia Gervais. The ACHRS will like to thank both of them for their invitation and for the opportunity given to us to partake in this workshop.
The aim of the workshop on the UPR was to bring together representatives from NGOs and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) from various parts of the world in order to provide a space for the exchange of perspectives and experiences, as well as enhancing the overall understanding of the new UPR process.
In brief, the UPR is a new mechanism of the Human Rights Council under which it will review, on a regular basis, the fulfilment by all the 192 UN member states of their human rights obligations and responsibilities. According to UNGA resolution 60/251, the UPR is to be a cooperative mechanism, based on objective and reliable information, and equal treatment of all states. It should be seen as a complementary mechanism to the treaty bodies. The UPR is a comprehensive and inclusive mechanism which allows submission from not only states but from other stakeholders: NHRIs, civil society organisations, non governmental organisations, media or academics.
As it is new international human rights instrument, there is still considerable uncertainty about how the UPR will work in practice or if it will actually become an effective tool in the promotion and protection of human rights. Therefore, in order to increase and improve our understanding on this instrument the workshop was arranged.
During the four days that the workshop lasted, there was a full assessment of the role of stakeholders (UN agencies, states, NGOs and NHRIs) in the UPR process. The challenges, opportunities, constraints that this mechanism creates were discussed between the participants. Furthermore, since there were participants in the workshop who had already submitted their papers to the Office of the High Commissioner, they were able to provide a better insight into this process and offer their advice on what strategies NGOs should follow.
Since the UPR process is such a complicated mechanism which requires the cooperation and coordination of all stakeholders, the ACHRS will explain and discuss in depth the findings and debates produced in this workshop in a coming special newsletter for the month of December. Moreover, since the ACHRS had the privilege to attend this workshop and consequently learn about the mandate of the UPR and understand the role of NGOs in this process, it feels it has the responsibility to inform civil society in Jordan and the Arab world in general about all these. Therefore, in the coming months it will begin to do so through publications and workshops.
