From students to human rights practitioners: UK’s first Model UPR
The first Model Universal Periodic Review (UPR) UK edition took place on 21–22 May 2026 at the University of Stirling.
Bringing together 24 students from five universities — the University of Stirling, Newcastle University, the University of Dundee, Leeds Beckett University and the University of Worcester — the simulation provided participants with a practical opportunity to engage with the UPR process.
Over two days, participants took part in a UN-style simulation of the UPR, representing six States, as well as civil society organisations and national human rights institutions. By analysing different national contexts, drafting reports, engaging in advocacy and taking part in constructive dialogue, students explored the mechanism beyond theory while developing practical skills in diplomacy, human rights analysis, stakeholder engagement and negotiation.
“We’ve had a great start to the inaugural edition of the Model UPR UK Edition,” said Dr Damian Etone, Senior Lecturer in International Human Rights Law at the University of Stirling. He highlighted how teams engaged with the mechanism while building “knowledge and skills on human rights, democracy and diplomacy in an interactive and engaging manner.”
UPR Info welcomes initiatives that make the UPR more accessible to students and future human rights practitioners. This initiative is also coherent with our broader efforts to promote UPR education through simulation-based learning.
UPR Info has supported similar Model UPR initiatives organised in collaboration with national actors in Togo in 2022 and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2024, drawing inspiration from the pioneering Model UPR developed by the University of Padova, where students and professors have organised the simulation annually for the past eight years.
By bringing the mechanism into the classroom, the Model UPR helps participants better understand the principles of dialogue, cooperation and accountability that underpin the review, and we hope this first UK edition will be the first of many to come.