New guide supports civil society in UPR implementation

A new practical guide by the Brazilian Institute for Development and Human Rights (IDDH), developed with the support of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), provides civil society coalitions with concrete strategies to strengthen their engagement in the implementation of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) recommendations.

The publication, UPR: A Practical Guide for Civil Society Coalitions to Engage in Implementation Mechanisms, was launched on 21 May 2026 during an online event bringing together civil society representatives from Latin America, Asia and Africa.

The guide offers practical tools for national civil society coalitions engaging with the UPR, with a focus on strengthening implementation, monitoring and follow-up at the national level. Building on IDDH’s previous guide on how to build national UPR collectives, the new publication looks at how established coalitions can act strategically throughout the UPR cycle.

“There is no single model for civil society participation, and building a collective is not a straight or linear path,” said Fernanda Lapa, Executive Director of IDDH. “It is a political process, and it should take the time needed to ensure that no one is left behind.”

The guide presents seven strategies for civil society coalitions to collectively advance implementation. These include strengthening coordination, expanding access to information, monitoring recommendations, engaging in national dialogue spaces, mobilising international actors, and working with National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting and Follow-up.

Its publication comes as the UPR approaches the end of its fourth cycle, at a moment when attention is increasingly focused on how recommendations are implemented, monitored and translated into concrete change at the national level.

During the launch, Gianni Magazzeni, President of the Board of UPR Info, highlighted the essential role of civil society coalitions in advocating for credible implementation plans after the review. Such plans, he noted, should identify concrete actions to follow up on supported recommendations, link them to relevant Sustainable Development Goals, and be developed through a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.

“Civil society organisations, and UPR coalitions in particular, are best placed to make this process credible,” added Gianni Magazzeni.

Coalitions in practice: lessons from national experiences

Experiences shared by national coalitions in Guatemala, Malaysia and Zimbabwe during the launch illustrated why such tools are needed in practice.

Guatemala

In Guatemala, the growth of the UPR coalition from a small group of organisations into a broad civil society platform showed how sustained coordination can strengthen national engagement with the mechanism. By bringing together actors working on women’s rights, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, children and youth, sexual and gender diversity, labour rights, freedom of expression and disability rights, the coalition has combined alternative and mid-term reporting with advocacy towards embassies and follow-up with national institutions.

Malaysia

The experience of the COMANGO coalition in Malaysia illustrated how the UPR can help open regular channels of engagement between civil society and the government. It also pointed to a growing challenge for civil society coalitions: the presence of well-organised actors seeking to contest or narrow the interpretation of human rights standards within UPR-related spaces.

Zimbabwe

From Zimbabwe, the Intersex Community of Zimbabwe showed how one accepted UPR recommendation on the protection of intersex minors helped create new opportunities for dialogue with State institutions, including the Ministry of Justice and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission. The example demonstrated how specific UPR recommendations can support evidence-gathering, national advocacy and legal and policy reform.

The guide is a timely contribution to efforts to make the UPR more implementation-focused, inclusive and impactful. It provides civil society coalitions with practical strategies to help turn recommendations into meaningful change on the ground.