'How to Better Infuse Gender into the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review Process'

Jindal Global Law Review, Vol. 2, Issue 1 (2010) 172-190

19 Pages Posted: 4 Aug 2012

See all articles by Jeremy Sarkin

Jeremy Sarkin

NOVA University of Lisbon - Faculty of Law

Date Written: August 3, 2012

Abstract

The shift at the United Nations (U.N.) from the much criticized Human Rights Commission to the Human Rights Council in 2006 has supposedly brought new opportunities to affect the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. One of the major developments has been the implementation of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process to review the human rights (HR) situations in all U.N. member countries on a regular basis. The extent to which it is having the desired effect still needs to be determined. One area that such a review mechanism could have a dramatic effect is on the lives of women to ensure that levels of discrimination and violence against women are reduced and that real and meaningful equality occurs for women and girls. This article reviews the way in which gender issues could be brought more directly into the work of the UPR process by reviewing the way UPR works and making recommendations on the way the process could be reformed to ensure greater infusion of gender issues into the process. This is crucial as gender discrimination around the world remains a major scourge. Finding where it is occurring and finding ways to deal with it must be a critical part of the human rights agenda at international, regional, sub-regional and domestic levels. The UPR process, it is argued, can play a critical part if the process works in a satisfactory manner. This article reviews the role of the UPR and makes recommendations to improve it with regard to dealing with gender more comprehensively and cohesively. Suggestions are made to ensure that the UPR process has the desired effect in the country concerned to ensure that the lives of billions of women and girls are improved by striving for equality by reducing discrimination and combating other types of human rights violations committed against women and girls in both the public and private sphere.

Suggested Citation

Sarkin, Jeremy, 'How to Better Infuse Gender into the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review Process' (August 3, 2012). Jindal Global Law Review, Vol. 2, Issue 1 (2010) 172-190, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2123157

Jeremy Sarkin (Contact Author)

NOVA University of Lisbon - Faculty of Law ( email )

Campus de Campolide
Lisboa, 1099-032
Portugal

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