“OUR VOICES ARE IMPORTANT”: UPR ADVOCACY WEEK, OCTOBER 2020
In October 2020, ILGA World and COC Nederland gathered together human rights defenders from across the world, 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. Over just a few days, they met with governments from different regions of the world and shared snapshots of their communities’ lived realities, highlighting recommendations they would like to see made at the upcoming UPR.
Listen to their voices as they share their experiences with other human rights defenders: “Our voices are important, and it is worthwhile participating and being heard!”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu3ONUZK1Hs
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 World organises UPR Advocacy Weeks – 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 World 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.