UNA Georgetown Puts “U” in UPR

On March 28, 2014 UNA Georgetown convened a grassroots consultation related to the upcoming UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the U.S. human rights record in 2015. The session discussed the theme of “preventing violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity” and featured UNA-USA Leo Nevas Task Force member and UPR expert, Joshua Cooper. Participants were asked to share and present their ideas, observations, recommendations during the session and engaged topics ranging from the prevention of bullying to advancing awareness on LGBT rights.

The UPR is a tool of the new UN Human Rights Council—established in 2006—which assesses the human rights records of all 193 UN members. To date, 100 percent of UN members have participated in the UPR, including the United States. As grassroots input is vital to the completion of each country’s review, UNA-USA hopes to submit the findings of Chapter-based UPR discussions and consultations occurring across the country to the U.S. State Department and UN Human Rights Council later in year. 

Interested in learning more about the UPR or conducting a consultation with your chapter? Please email Ryan Kaminski at rkaminski@unausa.org.