27/11/2017

UPR Info refutes inaccuracies regarding UAE Pre-session


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Geneva, Switzerland, 15 December 2017 – Yesterday, Al Jazeera published an article addressing the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Pre-sessions, an international advocacy event organised by UPR Info, a Geneva-based non-governmental organisation. UPR Info calls on Al Jazeera to update its article to accurately reflect the Pre-session of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which took place on 13 December 2017 at the United Nations in Geneva. The article maintains that the “UAE delegate ‘storm[ed]’ out” of the Pre-session, having “refuse[d] to address allegations of human rights abuses in the country”. However, this statement does not take into account that the Pre-session was organised as a panel discussion amongst civil society organisations to present the human rights situation to diplomatic representatives with a view towards informing them ahead of the UPR review. 

During the Pre-session, the delegate of the UAE did in fact seek to stress the progress made by his country in realising human rights. UPR Info explained that the State under Review, in this case, the UAE, will have the opportunity to present its report on the national human rights situation at the formal UN-organised UPR Working Group in January 2018. UPR Info does not believe that the article in Al Jazeera correctly reflected the full circumstance of the event.

UPR Info does not advocate on human rights issues, but rather offers a platform for civil society with such information to share its views with concerned parties at the international level.
 

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                                              For more information please contact Nargiz Arupova, Pre-sessions Programme Manager

                                              E: n.arupovaupr-info.org T: 022 321 77 70

                                              Click to download the press release