Last updated December 2024

Information is subject to change. Please check the Human Rights Council website for updates.

The Universal Periodic Review is the process of reviewing of a UN Member State’s human rights record every 4.5 years. The review includes the State’s commitments to the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as any other the human rights instruments to which it is a party, its voluntary pledges and commitments, and applicable international humanitarian law. It is an also opportunity for the State to share what it has done to improve human rights since its last review and receive recommendations from other UN Member States about continuing to promote human rights.

UPR Process

The reviews are carried out by the UPR Working Group which consists of all 47 members of the Human Rights Council. The information in the review comes from the national report from State under review, reports from independent human rights experts and groups from other UN entities, and other stakeholders, such as national human rights institutions and civil society. Civil society that submit a report for their country’s UPR can use the mechanism to bring global attention to human rights issues and highlight needed recommendations for reforms in their country. The review itself takes the form of a three-hour dialogue between the State under review and the UPR Working Group. The State presents its national report and responses to questions submitted in advance by other Member States. In response, any UN Member State can ask questions and make recommendations to the State under review about human rights violations and improvements. The State under review has the opportunity to accept or note any recommendations it receives. Again, civil society can leverage the State’s acceptance or noting of recommendations to apply pressure and carry out advocacy to enforce those recommendations or highlight the government’s rejection of them.

Two days after the review, the UPR Working Group allocates thirty minutes to adopt the outcome report. It adds the recommendations made by Member States and any other relevant information. Approximately five months later, the Human Rights Council adds an addendum containing the reactions of State under review to the recommendations it received and then adopt the fully completed report. 

Role of NGOs

NGOs and civil society members can submit information as “other stakeholders” for the review of a Member State. The information submitted may be used during the interactive dialogue during the review with UPR Working Group. NGOs are allowed to attend those sessions as well as the Human Rights Council sessions when the outcome reports are adopted. At the Human Rights Council sessions, NGOs with ECOSOC Special Consultative Status can make oral statements to the Council regarding human rights issues in the State under review. Oral statements can be a means for civil society to draw attention to the most pressing human rights issues before the Human Rights Council.