On November 16, 2022, the CCIG delivered a training in Lucerne, addressed to 14 program managers of Fastenaktion (Action de Carême) working on the right to food, climate justice, business and human rights as well as indigenous peoples’ and peasants’ rights in Haiti, Guatemala, Colombia, Brazil, Nepal, India, Philippines, Laos, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, South Africa and Madagascar.

The training session aimed at presenting the Universal Periodic Review with a particular attention to the opportunities that this specific UN mechanism offers for civil society participation. Accordingly, four main forms of contribution to the UPR by Civil Society Organizations were addressed: drafting of a UPR submission; advocacy actions prior to the UPR session; oral statements delivered in the UN Human Rights Council; and follow up and monitoring of UPR recommendations at the local level. The training helped the participants to recognize the potential of international advocacy, providing -based on the CCIG’s multi-year experience working with this mechanism- concrete examples of opportunities generated by the UPR for improving human rights protection on the ground. Relevant online and CCIG’s tools were shared to support participants in developing future actions in the framework of the UPR of their countries of interest. 

This training was part of 2022 capacity building activities promoted by CCIG to empower Civil Society organizations to effectively engage with the UPR mechanism and contribute to the realization of human rights at the local level.

Image by pch.vector on Freepik.