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Universal Periodic Review: Steps for the Next Phase

By Cory Champer

On Wednesday June 10, 2015, Joshua Cooper, from the University of Hawaii, led a workshop at Cultural Survival about the UN's Universal Periodic Review process focusing on United States' recent review. The UPR is a process conducted at the United Nations in Geneva that reviews each UN member state’s record with regard to its human rights obligations and commitments.  Civil society is encouraged to participate outlining the issues affecting their communities in regards to international human rights standards. “It is time to move beyond naming and shaming, and move towards framing and claiming,” Cooper said. The use of the UPR is to identify the concerns other countries have, but more importantly, what they want. Even though human rights apply to all, including Indigenous Peoples, there were recommendations made that specifically apply to Indigenous Peoples, such as, violence against Indigenous women. Cooper organized the workshop by breaking down each phase the UPR goes through, preparation, interaction, consideration, adoption, and implementation.

The first phase, preparation is the time where individuals reach out and talk to others, explain what the UPR is, ask questions, but the important question being, what do we want? A five or ten page report can then be written that prioritizes the recommendations, anyone can write these reports. The next phase is interaction; this is educating others on the UPR through social media and literature. An idea of “Selfies with Substance” was presented, where people take a selfie holding a sign with a recommendation that is important to them. The selfie will then be posted online with the hashtags #UPR2015 or #UPRUSA2015. Videos have also been made, and are continuing to be mad, of individuals describing what they plan to do, what recommendation affects them, what they want to ask Obama, and what they want. Copper is working on setting up a website similar to The World We Want, where surveys will be posted to let others help create a top ten priority list from the 348 recommendations. All of the recommendations can also be put into petition format, where individuals can sign and spread the petition around. Along with petitions, a book that Cooper referred to as the “recipe book for what needs to be done” where two page chapters can be written by anyone as well. Lastly, the UPR is forming a relationship with Ben and Jerry’s to create it’s own flavor attached to a “Rights Writers” group who continue to discuss the UPR.

On May 11th, 2015, the third phase, consideration, took place for the United States. The consideration is a three and a half hour review, where every country had sixty-five seconds to make their recommendations. One hundred and twenty-two countries signed up and made their recommendations in alphabetical order. Then during the Review on September 26th, the fourth phase, which is adoption, will be beginning. This fourth phase is the phase where there is still a heavy flow of momentum to keep everyone involved whether is be a community, national, or at a global level.

Finally, the last phase of implementation will execute what the UPR stands for. This is through continuing discussions about the recommendations and even holding a town hall meeting to explain ways to implement these recommendations. It is as easy as taking a selfie, adding a hashtag, eating ice cream, and talking with friends.

Be sure to check out the recommendations and know your rights!  Below is an abridged version of the recommendations made to the United States. 

Recommendations 1 – 61: Ratify UN Human Rights Treaties  CRC, CEDAW,  CRPD

Recommendations 62 – 63:  Ratify ILO  Conventions 111 and 189

Recommendations 29, 138, 72 – 73: Ratify ILO Conventions 

Recommendations 65 – 72: Ratify Rome Statute International Criminal Court 

Recommendation 74: Sign, Ratify InterAmerican Human Rights Instruments

Recommendations 75-76: Human Rights Awareness Raising and Human Rights Education Program and Training for All Civil Servants

Recommendations 77 – 93: Establish National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) based on Paris Principles

Recommendations 94 – 99: Adopt National Action Plan on Racial Justice inspired by Durban 

Recommendation 100: Abolish Extraterritorial Legislation on Human Rights Matters 

Recommendations 101-104: US International Aid Allows Access to Sexual & Reproductive Health Services 

Recommendation 105: End All Sanctions and Unilateral Coercive Measures Violations Sovereignty & Self-Determination

Recommendation 106: Raise ODA to Achieve UN Target of 0.7 Percent GDP

Recommendation 107: Repeal Unilateral Coercive Measures Imposed on Sovereign Countries especially Venezuela

Recommendation 108: Respect Sovereignty & Self-Determination Venezuela 

Recommendation 109: Pursue Cooperation with International Human Rights Mechanisms

Recommendation 110: Further Steps to Implement Recommendations Accepted during 1st UPR Cycle

Recommendation 111 – 112: Establish Mechanism / System for Comprehensive & Coordinated Compliance at Federal, State and Local Levels 

Recommendation 113 – 116: Issue Standing Invitation to All Special Procedure Mandate Holders

Recommendation 117: End Inequality 

Recommendations 118 – 121: Ensure Equal Wages, Gender Equality, End Discrimination Against Women, Maternity Leave

Recommendations 122 – 164: Take Concrete Measures to Combat Racial Discrimination Against

Recommendations 146 – 157: End Practice of Racial Profiling 

Recommendations 164-165: Take Measures, Comprehensive Programs and Heighten Efforts for Mutual Respect and Non-Discrimination 

Recommendations 165-168: End Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation

Recommendations 169 – 206: End Death Penalty, Establish Moratorium on Death Penalty 

Recommendations 207 – 209: End Extrajudicial Killings, Arbitrary Detention & Address Civilian Killings 

Recommendations 209 – 213: Desist, Take Legal Measures Against and Provide Reparations Due to Drone Strikes

Recommendations 213 – 231: Strengthen Safeguards Against Torture, Excessive Use of Force, Police Brutality and Punish all Perpetrators as Well 

Recommendation 227: Respect Right of Peaceful Protest

Recommendation 225: Awareness Raising Campaigns

Recommendation 228: Ensure Human Rights Training for Law Enforcement 

Recommendations 232 – 233: Address Disproportionate Impact on Poor Minorities Migrant Women; Investigate Deaths Migrants Caused by Customs and Border Patrol

Recommendations 234 – 237: Reduce, Eliminate Gun Violence

Recommendations 238 – 239: Abolish Life Imprisonment Without Parole 

Recommendation 240: Improve Prison Conditions

Recommendations 241, 243: Meet Consular Notification Obligations Under Vienna Convention 

Recommendations 244 – 255: Close Guantanamo Bay 

Recommendation 256: End to Practice of Secret Detention

Recommendations 257-259: Seek Alternatives to Detention of Immigrant Families and Especially Children

Recommendations 260: Eradicate Sexual and Domestic Violence

Recommendations 261 – 262: End Sexual Violence Against Indigenous Women

Recommendation 263: Present Sexual Violence in the Military, Prosecute Offenders and Redress for Victims

Recommendation 264: End All US Military Presence in Foreign Territories

Recommendation 265: Conduct Investigations of Abuse of Adopted Children

Recommendations 266 – 269: Ensure Protection Against Forced Labor & Exploitation Including Farm and Domestic Workers and 

Recommendation 270: Prohibit Corporal Punishment 

Recommendation 271: Implementation National Plan of Action Combat Sale of Children, Child Prostitution

Recommendation 272: Increase Minimum Age Recruitment into Military to 18

Recommendations 273 – 278: Fight Against Human Trafficking 

Recommendation 279: Prevent Recidivism

Recommendation 280: Reform Mandatory Minimums

Recommendations 281-282: Conduct Indepth Investigations of Race Related Issues Affecting Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice

Recommendations 283: Establish Independent Commission with Special Prosecutor for Race Crimes

Recommendations 284 – 285: Comply with Extradition UN Resolutions

Recommendation 286: Investigate all HR violations

Recommendations 287 – 293: Investigate Torture Crimes, Prosecute Those Responsible and Provide Reparations

Recommendations 294 – 295: Address Sexual Violence in the Military

Recommendations 296 – 297: Ensure Children Under 18 Handled by Juvenile Justice System in All Circumstances

Recommendations 298 – 312: Respect Right to Privacy, Cease Surveillance

Recommendations 313: Protect Religious Freedom

Recommendations 314 – 326: Economic, Social & Cultural Rights

Recommendation 314: Right to House, Food, Health and Education

Recommendation 315: End Criminalization Homelessness

Recommendations 316 – 317: Implement Right to Water and Sanitation

Recommendations 318 – 322: Recognize ESC Rights, Ensure Access to Healthcare and Social Services Health Care Accessible, Available and Affordable

Recommendation 323: Remove Restrictions on Abortion for Foreign Assistance

Recommendations 324 – 325: Promote Concrete Steps to Right to Education

Recommendations 326 – 332: Implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Recommendations 333 – 345: Rights for Immigrant and Migrant Workers

Recommendations 346 – 348: Combat Climate Change