Home » International » Universal Periodic Review (UPR) »

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How the Process Works

The UPR Timeline

How to get involved in the UPR process

How to get further information

How the Process Works

What is the Universal Periodic Review?

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process which was introduced in 2006. It involves a review of the human rights records of all 192 UN Member States once every four years (with 48 States reviewed each year during three UPR sessions dedicated to 16 States each).

The UPR is a state driven process which aims to improve the human rights situation in all countries by creating a process where governments are held to account by other countries for their human rights situation.

Through the UPR process, each country has an opportunity to outline what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and how they are fulfilling their international human rights obligations.

The UPR process serves as an opportunity to share good human rights practices around the globe. Currently, no other mechanism of this kind exists. The UPR is designed to ensure equal treatment for every country when their human rights situations are assessed.

Why is the UPR important?

The UPR process is unique in that it is a peer-review of the human rights record of a State, by other States. The Government has to provide a report to the Human Rights Council, which, along with the Reports of the UN and independent Stakeholders, will be used to examine Ireland on its human rights record. A series of recommendations will then be made to Ireland, which the Government will have to indicate its agreement with or rejection of before its peers.

What difference will it make?

The UPR aims to improve the situation of human rights in every country and thereby improve people's lives. By assessing the human rights situation in each country, the UPR aims to support and expand the promotion and protection of human rights. To achieve this, the UPR involves assessing States' human rights record. It will offer assistance to countries to overcome specific human rights challenges.

What is the basis of the UPR?

The UPR is conducted on the basis of three inputs:

  1. State Report submitted by the national government. (20 pages)
  2. Summary of UN information compiled by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) of information contained in the reports of treaty bodies, special procedures, and other relevant official UN documents. (10 pages)
  3. Summary of Stakeholders' Information prepared by Civil Society, NGOs and National Human Rights Institutions and compiled by the OHCHR. (10 pages) This is created from reports sent in by the National Human Rights Institutions (IHRC) and NGOs and Civil Society (5 pages for individual organisations; 10 pages for groups of organisations).

The deadline for submission of these reports to the UN is 11am on 21st March 2011.

What human rights issues may be considered in the UPR?

The UPR assesses the extent to which governments respect human rights including their obligations as set out in:

The UPR could also assess Ireland's commitment to a number of other human rights and humanitarian law treaties, including:

Treaties not yet ratified by Ireland

As these treaties have not been ratified by Ireland, the rights outlined in them will not form part of the examination of Ireland's record.

For further information on Ireland's international human rights commitments go to the Know Your Rights section of IHRC website.

Reports of Ireland's record under these treaties are available on the UN Treaty Body database.The 'Concluding Observations' of the treaty bodies, which set out the areas for improvement, will form part of the 'summary of UN information' document for the UPR process.

The IHRC as Ireland's National Human Rights Institution provides reports to the UN treaty bodies which inform their reviews of Ireland's record under these treaties.

Can you give examples of UPR reports from other countries?

Ireland will be reviewed during the Twelfth and final session of the first UPR cycle. The UN maintains a database of all documentation for every country that has been through the UPR. It includes all reports submitted in advance of the review, the Outcome Documents and recommendations. It holds responses by Governments to the recommendations made to them.

There is comprehensive information available on New Zealand's submissions including NGO reports.

Who conducts the Review at the UN Human Rights Council?

The Review is conducted in Geneva by the UPR Working Group which consists of the 47 Member countries of the Human Rights Council.

Who represents the State under Review (Ireland)?

The delegation of the State under Review usually consists of representatives of various Government departments.

Some countries have worked exclusively through their Department of Foreign Affairs while others have comprised of delegations from a broad range of Government departments. Heads of delegations have included Ministers of Justice, Interior, Foreign Affairs or Human Rights.

For example, at the Ninth UPR Session in November 2010, the delegation from the United States was led by Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, Legal Adviser for the U.S. Department of State and Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour. The delegation also included representatives from the Department of Justice and other U.S. Government agencies.

How is the Review conducted?

The State is reviewed by the UPR Working Group at the Human Rights Council (HRC). Each State under Review takes part in an interactive dialogue, which comprises of a three-hour Q&A session in which any UN Member State is able to ask questions and make recommendations. The State under Review is entitled to use one hour of that time to present its report, respond to any written question it may have received in advance of the review, respond to oral questions, comments and recommendations from the floor and present its conclusions.

The UN provides a webcast and archives of each UPR session.

What happens after the Review?

After the interactive dialogue, the troika (three States selected to report on the UPR dialogue) and a member of the Secretariat (OHCHR) work together to produce the report of the review.

The report is a summary of the Review and includes the recommendations made to the State under Review. The State under Review can accept or decline to implement any of the recommendations resulting from the review, and must inform the troika of its decisions.

The report is presented to the Working Group for adoption, two days after the review takes place. Factual errors in the report can be corrected at the request of delegations for a two week period following adoption.

Each country's commitment to the process can be measured by their commitment to implementing the recommendations and the efforts made to improve the internal human rights situation.

How is the Review adopted?

The final Outcome Document of the UPR of the State under Review is debated and adopted in the following Plenary Session of the Human Rights Council. As Ireland's Review takes place in October 2011, the final Outcome Document will be adopted in the HRC Plenary Session on 15 March 2012.

During the Plenary Session, each Outcome Report is debated for one hour.

  • 20 minutes for the State under review - It makes a statement to clarify any issue insufficiently addressed during the review, its decisions regarding the recommendations put to it, its voluntary commitments, its views on the Outcome Document and final comments.
  • 20 minutes for members and observers of the HRC (open to all 192 members of the UN), who can also make comments on the UPR Outcome Report.
  • 20 minutes is dedicated for Civil Society Organizations and the National Human Rights Institution (For Ireland, this is the Irish Human Rights Commission). Each representative makes a short two-minute interventions to express their views on the UPR Outcome Document for a given country.

The final Outcome Document of the UPR is adopted at the Plenary Session. It is composed of: the formal adoption of the Outcome Document, the report of the working group, with the written comments provided by the State under Review and the summary of the plenary proceedings contained in the report of the session.

What happens next?

The State has the primary responsibility to implement the recommendations contained in the Outcome Document. The UPR ensures that all countries are accountable for progress or failure in implementing these recommendations.

When the State is reviewed again, they must provide information on how they have implemented the recommendations made during the first Review four year's previously. The international community will assist in implementing the recommendations and conclusions regarding capacity-building and technical assistance, in consultation with the country concerned. If necessary, the Council will address cases where States are not cooperating.

The UPR Timeline

How often will Ireland go through the UPR process?

Each UN Member State is required to undertake the UPR every four years. Ireland's UPR is scheduled to take place in 2011.

By the end of 2011, every member of the United Nations will have had their human rights record reviewed through the UPR for the first time

What is the timeline for Ireland's UPR appearance?

The following table provides an approximate timeline of Ireland's UPR involvement and the responsibilities of the key parties (UN, Government, IHRC, NGOs) involved.

  • 20 January 2011- IHRC Briefing Session on UPR, NUI Galway
  • 14 February 2011 - Deadline for receipt of submissions to IHRC for our UPR report
  • 21 March 2011 - UN Deadline for receipt of submissions from the IHRC and civil society in Ireland
  • 4 July 2011 - Irish Government submits its UPR Report to the UN Human Rights Council
  • 6 October 2011 - Irish Government appears before UPR Working Group of the UN Human Rights Council to be examined
  • 8 October 2011 - Draft report of outcome of UPR examination of Ireland released

When will Ireland be assessed under the UPR?

Ireland will be reviewed before the UN Council on 6th October 2011 from 9.00am to 12.00pm.

How to Get Involved

How can you get involved?

There are a number of ways you can get involved in Ireland's UPR process.

Contribute to IHRC Report:

  • Members of the public can write outlining their human rights concerns to the IHRC at upr@ihrc.ie
  • Community and voluntary organisations/groups can submit their views directly to the IHRC at upr@ihrc.ie

The deadline for written contributions to the IHRC is 14 February 2011.

Write directly to UN:

  • Community and voluntary organisations/groups or academic institutions can submit a 5 page report to the UN directly at uprsubmissions@ohchr.org
  • A group of community & voluntary organisations can submit a 10 page report directly to the UN at uprsubmissions@ohchr.org

The deadline for these stakeholder submissions to the UN is 11am on 21st March 2011.

How do you prepare a UPR report?

The following steps will help you prepare your report:


1. Consult UN technical guidelines for stakeholder submissions
2. Identify key human rights issues you want to highlight in your report
3. Familiarise yourself with Ireland's human rights obligations and commitments in the area(s) you wish to highlight
4. Undertake research and/or compile documentation on key issues
5. Draft report based on a UPR template

More detailed UPR Report Preparation Guidelines are available.

The IHRC will also conduct a number of workshops on UPR preparation in January/February 2011. Please contact upr@info.ie if you would like to receive notice of any upcoming events.

What is the IHRC's role as a National Human Rights Institution?

National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) are independent statutory bodies established on the basis of the United Nations Paris Principles.

One of the roles of NHRIs is to engage with the UN when their country's human rights record is under scrutiny. Their role is to provide independent, considered and balanced reports on the human rights challenges and developments in their country.

The engagement of NHRIs with the UPR is considered as key to its success as an effective process. The Human Rights Council specifically mentions the importance of NHRIs in Resolution 5/1. There is considerable weight given to the report of the NHRI which will be compiled as part of the Other Stakeholders report and provided to all Member States during their consideration of the State's record.

Under the UPR, the IHRC is responsible for:

a) submitting a five page report to the OHCHR on the human rights situation in Ireland
b) Providing information on the UPR process and how to make a submission (As such, the IHRC will hold consultations in October 2010 and February 2011. It will also hold practical workshops on UPR report preparation and provide advice to interested stakeholders during this period.)
c) Engaging with Government to inform to inform the State report as appropriate and encourage the Government to make voluntary commitments in advance of the review
d) Holding side events in Geneva to raise awareness on key human rights issues
e) Participating in most sessions of the HRC, including the adoption of the UPR Outcome Documents on Ireland

Additional information on the role of NHRIs and their involvement in the UPR process.

What is the role of the State?

Under the UPR, the State is responsible for:

a) presenting a national report on the human rights situation in country
b) holding national consultations with all relevant stakeholders
c) providing an overview of the human rights situation in Ireland before the Working Group
d) participating in interactive dialogue and addressing written and oral questions before the Working Group
e) responding to recommendations, whether accepting or rejecting them
f) Implementing recommendations to improve the human rights situation in the country

What is the role of community and voluntary organisations/groups?

The UPR is a State-driven exercise; however, community and voluntary organisations and groups (Civil Society and NGOs) are encouraged to engage with the process and have the opportunity to take part and may contribute through:

a) participation in the national consultations held by the State
b) by making submissions to the OHCHR before the Review
c) lobbying members of the UPR Working Group
d) making a statement during the Plenary before the adoption of the outcome
e) monitoring State implementation of the UPR recommendations

Civil Society or NGOs may make submissions to the Other Stakeholders report which will be compiled by the UN. Submissions can be made individually or jointly with other NGOs.

The page limit on submissions by individual NGOs is 5 pages, although a more detailed and factual report can be attached to the submission. The page limit for joint submissions by large coalitions of NGOs is 10 pages. Anything over the page limit will not be considered in the process. NGOs can choose to submit their own information to the OHCHR or to engage in the Government process separately from any NGO coalition. The IHRC has prepared a UPR report template to assist you in preparing your submission. The deadline for submissions to the OHCHR is 11am, 21 March 2011.

More useful details on NGO participation.

What is the role of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)?

The OHCHR in Geneva is responsible for compiling two reports: the UN and the Stakeholders reports which are considered by the UPR Working Group at the Review.

How can members of the public contribute?

Members of the public may address correspondence detailing their human rights concerns to the IHRC at upr@ihrc.ie by February 14th, 2011. Correspondence may also be sent to NGOs who are submitting a report.

Getting Further Information

How do I get more information about the UPR?

The official United Nations documents set the rules and guidance for the UPR process.

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has also produced the following publication, which has a detailed consideration of the UPR process:

  • Working with the United Nations Human Rights Programme: A Handbook for Civil Society

There are a number of NHRIs and NGOs from other countries that have prepared guides to the UPR process. The following are useful guides that provide more detail on the UPR:

  • A Practical Guide to the United Nations' Universal Periodic Review Process (UPR) by the Human Rights Project at the Urban Justice Centre, USA:
  • A Guide to the Universal Periodic Review process for NGOs and NHRIs by International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific
  • UPR Info, a Swiss based NGO provides information and practical guidance on the UPR process and is run by .
  • The Australian Human Rights Commission recently co-hosted a workshop with the Asia-Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions on best practice for the UPR process and published a report of the conclusions.

Who should I contact for further information?

If you would like to learn more about the UPR process, you may contact the following organisations:

Avril Hutch
UPR Project Officer
Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC)
Fourth Floor, Jervis House,
Jervis Street, Dublin 1, Ireland
Tel: +353 (0) 1 858 9601
Email: upr@ihrc.ie
Website: www.ihrc.ie/upr

Civil Society Unit
OHCHR Human Rights Council Branch
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Palais des Nations
8-14, Avenue de la Paix
CH-1211 Geneva 10 - Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 917 9656
Email: civilsocietyunit@ohchr.org
Website: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/UPRMain.aspx

Human Rights Unit
Department of Foreign Affairs,
79-80 St. Stephen's Green,
Dublin 2
Website: www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=313

Irish Human Rights Commission | 4th Floor, Jervis House, Jervis Street, Dublin 1 | Tel: + 353 1 8589601 | Fax: + 353 1 8589609 | Email: info@ihrc.ie

Digital Revolutionaries