An example at the US: Addressing the Criminalization of Homelessness in the United States through the UN Human Rights Committee Review
The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty successfully used shadow reporting to convince the UN to condemn the criminalization of homelessness as a violation of human rights.
Shadow reports were produced on the base that criminalization of homelessness constitutes:
- cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment (click here to access the CID report)
- torture (click here to access the CAT report)
- and racial discrimination (click here to access the CERD report)
Results
As a result of strategic advocacy by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (the Law Center), not only will the government be held accountable by the HRC at the hearings, but the process as a whole has already been used to advance the domestic policy conversation around criminalization. Click here to access the UN statement.
To read more on this achievement, click here and access the Housing Rights Watch newsletter!
Useful jurisprudence: The arguments issued by the National Law Center are applicable in all EU countries!
Continue reading to know...
How can NGOs directly lobby UN decisions on national human rights application and improvement?
What is the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) ? ...
The Universal Periodic Review is the mechanism through which the UN Human Rights Council assesses the human rights situation in each member’s state. It is a ‘peer-review’: An interactive dialogue between the reviewed country and other UN member states about human rights.
The goals of the UPR are:
- Addressing inequalities and all forms of discrimination
- Advancing the human rights situation for all
- Pushing governments to fulfill their human rights obligations and commitments
- Reviewing positive developments and challenges faced by countries
- Sharing best practices between the countries and stakeholders
Click here for more information on the UPR and to access the UPR Training Manual for civil society. Here you can find a complete UPR toolkit for NGOs.
... and how can NGOs play a role?
Information provided by NGOs can become part of the official documentation prepared by the UN for the review of a State and NGO recommendations can influence the UN recommendations to States.
When a State accepts UPR recommendations, it makes a strong political commitment before all UN Member States to implement them in the following 4½ years.
It provides a great opportunity to increase awareness about human rights issues in a country.
How can your NGO get involved?
Your NGO can …
- Submit a report to make sure that their issues of concern will be included as the basis of the review.
- Conduct advocacy and lobbying activities before the review to get other States to make their recommendations during the review.
- Lobby friendly states to ask questions or to make a recommendation (1 to 2 months before the event)
- Organize a national viewing of the live broadcast of the UPR session
- Hold a side event
- Organize a press conference. Publicize the results of the outcome document that has been approved by the country under review, which means it has accepted recommendations and made voluntary commitments for improvement. Also highlight recommendations that were rejected and/or put on hold.
- Use the media to spread the word, educate the public, and put pressure on the government to fulfill its UPR obligations.
- Organize meetings. Discuss the relevance of the outcome document with your community, and how community members can engage in the implementation process.
- Develop a strategy to monitor implementation. Organizations should monitor government progress as well as problems or limitations during the 4 years between reviews.
- Lobby the State to accept UPR recommendations.
- Participate in implementation. NGOs should engage in dialogue with the government to share expertise in the human rights field of concern, and to make the process and methods of implementation as effective and targeted as possible.
- Organize a web casting to inform civil society on the results of the review.
Click here and here for more information on suggested follow up activities for NGOs
You can start your involvement at any step of the process!
- At the preparation of the State’s UPR report
- Before the UPR
- During the UPR session
- After the UPR and before the official adoption by the HRC
- At the Human Rights Council plenary session
- Follow-up
Click here to know how and when you can get involved
and click here for specific information on the timings.
When will your country be reviewed under the UPR?
All UN Member States is reviewed every 4.5 years. 42 States are reviewed each year during three Working Group sessions dedicated to 14 States each.
Check here when the UPR is going to take place in your country.
Here you can find the current deadlines for the second UPR cycle (2012-16).
You want to start?
Click here to access the UPR Advocacy Paper Template.
You can find more information on shadow reporting at our web page.
How can NGOs make their voices stronger?
Advocacy is always more influential – and thus more likely to be successful – when it is coordinated. When NGOs work together and speak with one voice, it gives more weight and legitimacy to their concerns.
