CCIG recently hosted an online meeting of its UPR Platform members to offer an update on the Advocacy Assessment Tool developed through the Platform to provide NGOs with a means of measuring the impact of their advocacy work on recommendations made by countries during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session. The meeting was held on April 17, 2024. Laurence Blattmer, Program Coordinator at Dominicans for Justice and Peace, and Pamela Difino, Project Administration Officer at the Marist Foundation for International Solidarity (FMSI) gave presentations on their experiences using the Advocacy Assessment Tool. Dominicans for Justice and Peace and FMSI are both members of CCIG and have used the tool in their joint projects carried out in partnership with CCIG in Papua New Guinea and Bangladesh as well as in other contexts.

During the meeting, the presenters provided a detailed description of how to use the Advocacy Assessment Tool and explained how the impact of lobbying efforts is measured. They identified the types of data that can be collected and offered suggestions on how participants could adjust the file to fit the specific needs of their organization. They also discussed the importance of having quantifiable information on advocacy efforts for use in reports for donors or yearly organizational reports. With the Advocacy Assessment Tool, NGOs can gauge which forms of lobbying are most impactful, determine which states are most open to their suggestions, and predict what types of recommendations states may make in future UPR cycles.

This meeting not only gave participants the knowledge needed to use the Advocacy Assessment Tool in their own work, but through time for questions and discussion, generated ideas for expanding and improving on the tool going forward.

For more information on CCIG work in the framework of the UPR, please consult the CCIG UPR Platform webpage.