Day 2 | Session 6: Engaging with Human Rights mechanisms at the UN

Wednesday, 30 June, 2021 [9:00 - 10:30 UTC]

Objective: In continuation of the previous session, this session will focus on human rights spaces in the UN ecosystem. By enabling participants to understand the human rights spaces in the UN, the session will help them gear up for targeted advocacy. Discussion on effective engagement in each of these unique processes will be undertaken through looking at specific examples of cases and the array of types of interventions possible.

Session plan:

• Treaty bodies 
• What are the relevant treaty bodies and what can they do?
  Submissions and advocacy with treaty bodies
• Human Rights Council (HRC)
• Sessions at the HRC and what can we do?
• UPR and how to engage?
• Special Procedures
• OHCHR 
• Their engagement with digital rights
• What kind of interventions can you make?
• Participation in negotiation of norms (resolutions)
• Statements - written and oral 
• Bilateral meetings 
• Side-events 
• Submissions and shadow reports to UNSR, UPR, TBs

*Reading materials and Tables are hyperlinked, please click the text to access

Reading Materials:

Suggested Readings 

1. International Service for Human Rights, A Simple Guide to the UN Treaty Bodies 
2. Deborah Brown & Sheetal Kumar, A guide to help human rights defenders navigate the Universal Periodic Review 
3. United Nations Human Rights Council, A practical guide for NGOs
4. Open Society Institute, UN Treaty Committees 

Additional Readings 

1. UN OHCHR, How to Follow Up on United Nations Human Rights Recommendations
2. United Nations Development Programme, Strengthening Engagement with the International Human Rights Machinery: A Practioner’s Guide 
3. UN OHCHR, Universal Human Rights Index
4. UN OHCHR, Training Manual on Human Rights Monitoring
5. UN OHCHR, A Practical Guide to Effective State Engagement with International Human Rights Mechanisms
6. APC & Advocacy Assembly, Making an Impact with the Universal Periodic Review

Representations:

1. Map of UNHRC Spaces 
2. Human Rights Architecture
3. Introduction to Human Rights Treaties
4. Human Rights Treaty System
5. State Party Reporting Obligations under International Human Rights Treaties
6. Human Rights Mechanism
7. UN Human Rights Organizational Chart
8. UNHRC 47th Session: 'How To' Guide 
9. UNHRC Members who have sponsored or co-sponsored Resolutions on the promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet

📌 Presentation Slide

🔖 Read Day 2 Summary Here