13/05/2015

UPR Info's 2014 Annual report

2014 was an exciting year for UPR Info. Through our continued engagement, and new approaches, we strengthened our development, expanded our network and increased our visibility. To sum up 2014, we published a landmark report, launched a new project, reinforced one of our programmes, wrapped up another, and strengthened our organisation.

The highlight of the year was the publication of an analysis of the implementation of 11,527 recommendations. As the pinnacle of our fouryear Follow-up Programme, Beyond Promises represented a breakthrough in the history of international human rights mechanism monitoring. For the very first time, a study provided responses regarding the concrete impact of a UN human rights mechanism only seven years after its inception. Presented before a full room at the United Nations, the analysis showcased that one out of two UPR recommendations had triggered action by Governments after three years. Combining quantitative and qualitative data, with best practices, Beyond Promises was a landmark publication and attracted the attention of all stakeholders.

In order to better support States’ engagement in the UPR, we held the very first seminar for recommending States. Recommending States are key actors in the UPR process – they contribute tremendously to the success of the mechanism and bear great responsibility in the implementation phase – but, they are often overlooked. The seminar aimed to better engage these actors and support their future work. More than 40 Permanent Missions attended the seminar.

In 2014, the Pre-sessions became an integral part of the UPR process. CSOs have incorporated their participation in the Pre-sessions as a decisive step in their UPR engagement. On average, 28 diplomats were present at each meeting, with 40 attending the Pre-session on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Since its inception, the Programme has enabled around 500 CSO representatives to participate, making it de facto the most important human rights lobbying platform in the world. After four years of operation, the Follow-up Programme recently came to an end. Beyond Promises concluded the collection of information on 165 countries and 11,527 UPR recommendations. In keeping with our commitment to bring Geneva to the ground and ensuring the UPR has a meaningful impact on people’s lives, 2015 will see a new project building on the outcomes of the previous one. This programme will strengthen our presence outside Geneva and will enable us to respond to requests for technical assistance from all actors.

On the organisational side, UPR Info underwent important changes in response to an increasing amount of work. Two programme managers joined our team, bringing the staff to four permanent members. Financially, fundraising was made a priority to secure the sustainability of the organisation for the next two years. With robust programmes and financial stability in place, UPR Info is fully equipped to positively influence the second half of the second cycle of the UPR and strongly engage in the third one.

Read our 2014 Annual Report here.