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23/09/2026

From Rabat to Geneva: Strengthening the UPR process

UPR Info is pleased to invite you to the side event “Strengthening the UPR Process for Transformative Human Rights Impact”, organised by the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Morocco, in cooperation with OHCHR and UPR Info, on the margins of the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council.

The event will take place on 24 September 2026 at 13:00 in Room IX of the Palais des Nations, Geneva.

 

As the Universal Periodic Review approaches the completion of its fourth cycle, and as 2026 marks the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the Human Rights Council and the UPR, the event will provide an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of the mechanism and discuss how its effectiveness and impact can be further strengthened ahead of the fifth cycle. 

Over the past two decades, the UPR has become one of the most widely supported mechanisms of the United Nations human rights system. It has contributed to progress at the national level, including by strengthening National Mechanisms for Reporting, Implementation and Follow-up and National Human Rights Institutions, as well as by encouraging the ratification of international human rights instruments.

At the same time, challenges remain in translating UPR recommendations into sustained implementation and measurable improvements in the enjoyment of human rights.

MoroccoSideEvent

Against this background, the Kingdom of Morocco hosted an international retreat in Rabat on 5–6 June 2026, alongside OHCHR and UPR Info. The retreat provided a dedicated space to discuss technical and procedural aspects of the UPR, as well as ways to strengthen its substantive effectiveness, with particular attention to implementation and impact at the national level.

The side event will provide an opportunity to share the main conclusions of the Rabat Retreat and discuss possible pathways for strengthening the UPR ahead of its fifth cycle, in a spirit of dialogue and consensus.

Panel

Moderator:
H.E. Mr. Omar Zniber, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva

Panelists:

  • H.E. Ambassador Sidharto Reza Suryodipuro, President of the 20th cycle of the Human Rights Council

  • Mr. Mohamed Lahbib Belkouch, Interministerial Delegate for Human Rights of the Kingdom of Morocco

  • H.E. Mr. Tormod Cappelen Endresen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva [TBC]

  • H.E. Mrs. Salma Rasheed, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Maldives to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva

  • H.E. Mrs. Fancy Too, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kenya to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva

  • Mrs. Juliette de Rivero, Chief, Universal Periodic Review Branch, OHCHR

  • Mrs. Mona M’Bikay, Executive Director, UPR Info

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Countries: Morocco*