In October 2018, ILGA and COC Nederland welcomed human rights defenders from 9 countries worldwide to the United Nations in Geneva, for a unique opportunity to raise awareness of SOGIESC issues in their own countries and regions at the international level.

As their countries were getting ready to see their human rights record analysed by other UN member states, the defenders joined a week of advocacy around the Universal Periodic Review[1]. Over just five days, they met with governments from every region of the world and shared snapshots of their communities’ lived realities, highlighting recommendations they would like to see made at the upcoming UPR.

[1] Three times a year, the governments of the world meet at the United Nations in Geneva to review the human rights record of countries and make recommendations to them: the Universal Periodic Review, or UPR.

ILGA organises “UPR Advocacy Weeks” – this time together with COC Nederland - to coincide with the crucial period in the run-up to these reviews. During these days, NGOs meet with the Geneva representatives of governments from around the world, to share the human rights situation on the ground and what recommendations they would like these countries to make to their own governments.

During these advocacy weeks, the ILGA team assists human rights defenders in the preparation of oral statements and summaries to be delivered during the pre-sessions, facilitates meetings with diplomatic missions and gives advice on how to strategically conduct advocacy in Geneva and back home.