Sharing Good Practice on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Date: Thursday 24 August 2023 11:00-12:15 (CEST)

Format: Online discussion on Zoom

Register here. 

The event will be conducted in French. 

UPR Info, with the participation of the Coalition pour la sauvegarde des droits humains and Changement Social Bénin, organises an online discussion to share good practices on how the UPR can contribute  to protect and promote economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR).

COVID-19 has highlighted growing inequalities and societal destabilisation across countries, exacerbated by decades of downplaying of economic, social and cultural rights ESC rights in public policies and public services. ESC rights have not been consistently integrated by governments and international institutions into their policies and practices, nor upheld by courts. This downplaying of ESC rights results in the insufficiency of practical application and access to remedy and exacerbated the impact of COVID-19. These effects are even more profound for people in vulnerable situations. 

Among the Council's procedures and mechanisms, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) provides an opportunity to respond to violations of ESC rights. Despite the increasing attention on ESC rights in the third cycle, merely 21% of the recommendations made  during the fourth cycle were related to these rights.

Civil society organisations (CSOs) and national human rights institutions (NHRIs), have the opportunity to contribute to the improvement of human rights in the process. CSOs and NHRIs play a key role in advancing justiciability of ESC rights, in particular through their awareness-raising activities with local or national authorities and advocacy, research, and judicial activities.

The online event provides CSOs and NHRIs to share good practices to advance ESC rights in the UPR process and identify common challenges through interactive dialogue between panelists and participants.

Moderator: UPR Info 

Panelists:

1. Karl Balemba Mweze, Coalition pour la Sauvegarde des Droits Humains, DRC 

2. Ralmeg Gandaho, Changement Social Bénin, Benin

If you have any preliminary questions for the panelists, please email [email protected].  

Use #UPRGoodPractice on social media to share your experience at the UPR with others!