On October 15, 2025, CCIG had the opportunity to host in partnership with Fastenaktion and Dreikönigsaktion – Hilfswerk der Katholischen Jungschar (DKA Austria), an online advocacy training for local civil society actors from Nepal, ahead of the UPR session.This followed a previous training on the UPR mechanism held in June. 

This training series aimed to strengthen local civil society actors’ knowledge of the UPR process, specifically regarding Nepal’s recommendations, offer examples of advocacy and partnership tools, and provide guidance and support for their advocacy work prior to the UPR session of Nepal scheduled for January 2026. In particular, the UPR pre-session of Nepal, taking place this November in Geneva, provides a key opportunity for local human rights defenders to approach Member States representatives and advocate for the most pressing human rights challenges in Nepal.

Moderated by CCIG Secretary General Maria D’Onofrio, this session aimed to provide theoretical and practical guidance on how to give visibility to local human rights concerns and recommendations vis-à-vis other Member States, in order to ensure that the key human rights concerns raised by local actors are indeed addressed during the UPR session. The topics focused on the right to food, right to land, and minority rights, as these are the main priorities highlighted by training participants for Nepal’s upcoming UPR recommendations. Accordingly, participants received guidance on identifying and reaching out to targeted states, as well as on advocacy before, during and after the UPR session, with examples drawn from CCIG’s past work. 

We were pleased to host again the Nepali civil society organizations, which participated in the initial training in June: Community Self-Reliance Centre (CSRC) and Dignity Initiative (DI), and to welcome participants from the Social Work Institute (SWI) and Consortium Nepal. Some of these participants are preparing to travel to Geneva and attend the UPR pre-session for Nepal at the Palais des Nations.

We are proud to continue partnering with Fastenaktion and DKA Austria to empower local civil society actors to effectively take part in the UPR process, advocate for concrete and action-oriented recommendations leading to enhanced human rights implementation issues in their countries. We look forward to continuing our support for Nepali civil society representatives and to welcoming them in person in November in Geneva.