By Cory Champer
On Wednesday June 10, 2015, Joshua Cooper, from the University of Hawaii, led a workshop at Cultural Survival about the UN's Universal Periodic Review process focusing on United States' recent review. The UPR is a process conducted at the United Nations in Geneva that reviews each UN member state’s record with regard to its human rights obligations and commitments. Civil society is encouraged to participate outlining the issues affecting their communities in regards to international human rights standards. “It is time to move beyond naming and shaming, and move towards framing and claiming,” Cooper said. The use of the UPR is to identify the concerns other countries have, but more importantly, what they want. Even though human rights apply to all, including Indigenous Peoples, there were recommendations made that specifically apply to Indigenous Peoples, such as, violence against Indigenous women. Cooper organized the workshop by breaking down each phase the UPR goes through, preparation, interaction, consideration, adoption, and implementation.
The first phase, preparation is the time where individuals reach out and talk to others, explain what the UPR is, ask questions, but the important question being, what do we want? A five or ten page report can then be written that prioritizes the recommendations, anyone can write these reports. The next phase is interaction; this is educating others on the UPR through social media and literature. An idea of “Selfies with Substance” was presented, where people take a selfie holding a sign with a recommendation that is important to them. The selfie will then be posted online with the hashtags #UPR2015 or #UPRUSA2015. Videos have also been made, and are continuing to be mad, of individuals describing what they plan to do, what recommendation affects them, what they want to ask Obama, and what they want. Copper is working on setting up a website similar to The World We Want, where surveys will be posted to let others help create a top ten priority list from the 348 recommendations. All of the recommendations can also be put into petition format, where individuals can sign and spread the petition around. Along with petitions, a book that Cooper referred to as the “recipe book for what needs to be done” where two page chapters can be written by anyone as well. Lastly, the UPR is forming a relationship with Ben and Jerry’s to create it’s own flavor attached to a “Rights Writers” group who continue to discuss the UPR.
On May 11th, 2015, the third phase, consideration, took place for the United States. The consideration is a three and a half hour review, where every country had sixty-five seconds to make their recommendations. One hundred and twenty-two countries signed up and made their recommendations in alphabetical order. Then during the Review on September 26th, the fourth phase, which is adoption, will be beginning. This fourth phase is the phase where there is still a heavy flow of momentum to keep everyone involved whether is be a community, national, or at a global level.
Finally, the last phase of implementation will execute what the UPR stands for. This is through continuing discussions about the recommendations and even holding a town hall meeting to explain ways to implement these recommendations. It is as easy as taking a selfie, adding a hashtag, eating ice cream, and talking with friends.
Be sure to check out the recommendations and know your rights! Below is an abridged version of the recommendations made to the United States.
Recommendations 1 – 61: Ratify UN Human Rights Treaties CRC, CEDAW, CRPD
Recommendations 62 – 63: Ratify ILO Conventions 111 and 189
Recommendations 29, 138, 72 – 73: Ratify ILO Conventions
Recommendations 65 – 72: Ratify Rome Statute International Criminal Court
Recommendation 74: Sign, Ratify InterAmerican Human Rights Instruments
Recommendations 75-76: Human Rights Awareness Raising and Human Rights Education Program and Training for All Civil Servants
Recommendations 77 – 93: Establish National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) based on Paris Principles
Recommendations 94 – 99: Adopt National Action Plan on Racial Justice inspired by Durban
Recommendation 100: Abolish Extraterritorial Legislation on Human Rights Matters
Recommendations 101-104: US International Aid Allows Access to Sexual & Reproductive Health Services
Recommendation 105: End All Sanctions and Unilateral Coercive Measures Violations Sovereignty & Self-Determination
Recommendation 106: Raise ODA to Achieve UN Target of 0.7 Percent GDP
Recommendation 107: Repeal Unilateral Coercive Measures Imposed on Sovereign Countries especially Venezuela
Recommendation 108: Respect Sovereignty & Self-Determination Venezuela
Recommendation 109: Pursue Cooperation with International Human Rights Mechanisms
Recommendation 110: Further Steps to Implement Recommendations Accepted during 1st UPR Cycle
Recommendation 111 – 112: Establish Mechanism / System for Comprehensive & Coordinated Compliance at Federal, State and Local Levels
Recommendation 113 – 116: Issue Standing Invitation to All Special Procedure Mandate Holders
Recommendation 117: End Inequality
Recommendations 118 – 121: Ensure Equal Wages, Gender Equality, End Discrimination Against Women, Maternity Leave
Recommendations 122 – 164: Take Concrete Measures to Combat Racial Discrimination Against
Recommendations 146 – 157: End Practice of Racial Profiling
Recommendations 164-165: Take Measures, Comprehensive Programs and Heighten Efforts for Mutual Respect and Non-Discrimination
Recommendations 165-168: End Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation
Recommendations 169 – 206: End Death Penalty, Establish Moratorium on Death Penalty
Recommendations 207 – 209: End Extrajudicial Killings, Arbitrary Detention & Address Civilian Killings
Recommendations 209 – 213: Desist, Take Legal Measures Against and Provide Reparations Due to Drone Strikes
Recommendations 213 – 231: Strengthen Safeguards Against Torture, Excessive Use of Force, Police Brutality and Punish all Perpetrators as Well
Recommendation 227: Respect Right of Peaceful Protest
Recommendation 225: Awareness Raising Campaigns
Recommendation 228: Ensure Human Rights Training for Law Enforcement
Recommendations 232 – 233: Address Disproportionate Impact on Poor Minorities Migrant Women; Investigate Deaths Migrants Caused by Customs and Border Patrol
Recommendations 234 – 237: Reduce, Eliminate Gun Violence
Recommendations 238 – 239: Abolish Life Imprisonment Without Parole
Recommendation 240: Improve Prison Conditions
Recommendations 241, 243: Meet Consular Notification Obligations Under Vienna Convention
Recommendations 244 – 255: Close Guantanamo Bay
Recommendation 256: End to Practice of Secret Detention
Recommendations 257-259: Seek Alternatives to Detention of Immigrant Families and Especially Children
Recommendations 260: Eradicate Sexual and Domestic Violence
Recommendations 261 – 262: End Sexual Violence Against Indigenous Women
Recommendation 263: Present Sexual Violence in the Military, Prosecute Offenders and Redress for Victims
Recommendation 264: End All US Military Presence in Foreign Territories
Recommendation 265: Conduct Investigations of Abuse of Adopted Children
Recommendations 266 – 269: Ensure Protection Against Forced Labor & Exploitation Including Farm and Domestic Workers and
Recommendation 270: Prohibit Corporal Punishment
Recommendation 271: Implementation National Plan of Action Combat Sale of Children, Child Prostitution
Recommendation 272: Increase Minimum Age Recruitment into Military to 18
Recommendations 273 – 278: Fight Against Human Trafficking
Recommendation 279: Prevent Recidivism
Recommendation 280: Reform Mandatory Minimums
Recommendations 281-282: Conduct Indepth Investigations of Race Related Issues Affecting Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice
Recommendations 283: Establish Independent Commission with Special Prosecutor for Race Crimes
Recommendations 284 – 285: Comply with Extradition UN Resolutions
Recommendation 286: Investigate all HR violations
Recommendations 287 – 293: Investigate Torture Crimes, Prosecute Those Responsible and Provide Reparations
Recommendations 294 – 295: Address Sexual Violence in the Military
Recommendations 296 – 297: Ensure Children Under 18 Handled by Juvenile Justice System in All Circumstances
Recommendations 298 – 312: Respect Right to Privacy, Cease Surveillance
Recommendations 313: Protect Religious Freedom
Recommendations 314 – 326: Economic, Social & Cultural Rights
Recommendation 314: Right to House, Food, Health and Education
Recommendation 315: End Criminalization Homelessness
Recommendations 316 – 317: Implement Right to Water and Sanitation
Recommendations 318 – 322: Recognize ESC Rights, Ensure Access to Healthcare and Social Services Health Care Accessible, Available and Affordable
Recommendation 323: Remove Restrictions on Abortion for Foreign Assistance
Recommendations 324 – 325: Promote Concrete Steps to Right to Education
Recommendations 326 – 332: Implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Recommendations 333 – 345: Rights for Immigrant and Migrant Workers
Recommendations 346 – 348: Combat Climate Change
