On June 11, 2025, CCIG in partnership with Fastenaktion, offered an interactive online training on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism to a group of local civil society actors from Nepal, as part of their advocacy work to engage in the UPR for their country.
Among the Nepali organizations that participated in this training, were the Community Self-Reliance Centre (CSRC), a grassroots and international organization that works on land rights advocacy, and Dignity Initiative (DI), which advocates for the rights of Dalit communities in Nepal. Dalits are communities historically regarded as the lowest case in South Asia, who continue to face discrimination and social exclusion.
The online training, delivered by CCIG Secretary General Maria D’Onofrio, was divided into two main parts. The first focused on identifying and assessing previous UPR recommendations for Nepal, while the second guided participants on how to draft an effective UPR submission. These topics aimed to strengthen local actors’ ability to link the human rights issues they deal with on the ground with the international human rights framework provided by the UPR and formulate action-oriented recommendations for Nepal to address these challenges. Additionally, participants received practical insights, as well as key procedural information to comply with the UPR submission process.
As previously requested by the civil society actors, the training was adjusted to the Nepali context on food, land and minority rights. Participants recognized these issues as being of central importance to Nepal’s social and economic development. They also had the opportunity during the training to discuss the analysis of previous UPR recommendations, identify gaps in implementation, and develop strategic proposals for the upcoming review cycle.
A subsequent training is planned for October this year to continue supporting these local partners in preparation for the UPR session of Nepal scheduled for January 2026.
CCIG welcomes the opportunity to equip local organizations with the tools and knowledge to engage effectively in the UPR process for their countries and, thus advocate for enhanced human rights implementation in their communities.