Strengthening the UPR through gender-inclusive participation
How can the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) better reflect the lived realities of women, girls and women human rights defenders?
This question will be at the centre of a side event to the 62nd session of the Human Rights Council, held on 29 June 2026 from 15:00 to 16:00 CET at the Palais des Nations, Room Concordia 1, and online.
The event, “Strengthening the UPR Cycle: Gender Perspectives, Inclusivity, and Civil Society Participation,” is co-organized by the Permanent Mission of North Macedonia to the UN in Geneva, the Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom to the UN in Geneva, the European Policy Institute – Skopje, and UPR Info.
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As the Human Rights Council marks its 20th anniversary, the UPR remains one of its most important achievements. The UPR offers a unique space for States, UN actors, national human rights institutions, civil society and other stakeholders to assess human rights progress and identify priorities for action.
The discussion will focus on how to better integrate gender perspectives throughout the UPR process — from stakeholder engagement and recommendations to implementation and mid-term reporting. While gender equality is frequently addressed in UPR recommendations, women, girls and women human rights defenders continue to face specific barriers to participation, especially in contexts of shrinking civic space.
These barriers are increasingly visible online. Women human rights defenders and organizations working on gender equality may face intimidation, stigmatization, digital attacks, technology-facilitated gender-based violence and funding constraints, all of which can limit their ability to engage safely with public institutions and UN human rights mechanisms.
By bringing together Member States, experts, and civil society organizations, the event aims to identify practical ways to make the UPR more inclusive, participatory and responsive to lived realities.
