On June 3, 2024, CCIG Secretary General Maria D’Onofrio conducted a presentation on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism as part of the 2024 VIVAT International Annual Meeting, with the participation of over 80 local human rights activists from around the world. Her intervention focused on how the UPR can be used to achieve human rights on the ground.

Maria’s presentation began with an introduction to the UPR mechanism. She explained the legal basis of the UPR mechanism in the UN Charter of 1945 and provided an overview of the review process. She then discussed the ways in which civil society actors can participate in the UPR process.

To conclude her presentation, Maria shared success stories experienced by the CCIG with its members in working with the UPR mechanism. She highlighted the Bolivia Project, in which a coalition of 18 local civil society actors made a UPR submission on rights of vulnerable children, youth, and women. Local actors came to Geneva to participate in meetings and side events, even delivering oral statements in two Human Rights Council (HRC) sessions. Their efforts produced 16 focused recommendations that Bolivia committed to implement, and the local actors involved in the submission proceeded to monitor the implementation with logistical support from CCIG. She also discussed the Papua New Guinea Project, in which a coalition of 16 local civil society actors made a UPR submission with the support of CCIG related to the rights of children, women, and people with disabilities as well as environmental protection. The project included the use of national radio broadcasts to raise awareness of human rights issues and alert the public on the key human rights challenges raised in the UPR submission.

Following Maria’s presentation, Kachi Adindu of VIVAT International provided a brief on the UPR of Nigeria, which underwent its fourth review in January 2024. The report of the working group contained a number of recommendations related to the VIVAT submission, the adoption of which will take place in July 2024 during the 56th session.

Participants concluded the meeting by discussing the greatest challenges they have faced while engaging with the UPR process, noting limited opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing among organizations as well as lack of knowledge of the process and technical skills to draft submissions, both issues that CCIG works to address through its UPR Platform. Thanks to this training, participants gained a better understanding of the function of the UPR mechanism and the role of NGOs, empowering them to engage with the UPR process in their work as civil society actors.