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UN examines NZ's human rights performance
7 May: UN examines NZ's human rights performance
5 May 2009
On Thursday, 7 May, the government's overall performance on human rights will be examined for the first time through the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process. The UPR is a mechanism established in 2006 whereby the UN Human Rights Council reviews whether or not UN member states are fulfilling their human rights obligations and commitments. This message has information about the current stage of the UPR process, where and when you can watch the UPR live, and links to where you can get more information about NZ's UPR.
* The current stage of the UPR process
On Thursday, 7 May, the Working Group of the UPR (composed of the 47 member states of the UN Human Rights Council) will review NZ's performance on human rights. This will take place in Geneva, and will comprise a three hour session in which NZ government representatives will present their UPR report, followed by an interactive dialogue with Human Rights Council member and observer states. The interactive dialogue will be informed by documents summarising NGO and other stakeholder submissions, and information from UN human rights bodies.
Following the interactive dialogue, the report of the Working Group will be prepared - it will contain the summary of the interactive dialogue, responses by the government representatives, recommendations by Human Rights Council member states, and any voluntary human rights commitments made by the government. The government can accept or refuse any of the recommendations; both accepted and refused recommendations will be included in the report.
On Monday, 11 May, the report will presented to the Working Group for adoption. The report can then be modified by the government within the following two weeks.
The next stage will be the adoption of the report by the Human Rights Council, this will take place during the 12th regular session of the Council in September 2009. Following the adoption of the report, the government is required to implement the recommendations contained in it.
* Where and when you can watch the UPR
The live webcast of the UPR will be at http://www.un.org/webcast/unhrc/index.asp The interactive dialogue with the Working Group on the UPR will take place on Thursday, 7 May, from 9am to 12 noon CEST (7pm to 10pm NZ time), and the adoption of the draft Report on NZ will take place on Monday, 11 May, from 12 noon to 12.30pm CEST (10pm to 10.30pm NZ time).
* Where you can get more information about NZ's UPR
Background information about the UPR process and NZ's UPR is available at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/nzupr09.htm Submissions, reports, and resources - including the NGO submissions to the UPR and NGO feedback on the government's draft UPR report - are available at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/nzupr09r.htm
Over the next few days, the Submissions, reports, and resources page will be updated with: reports from the Aotearoa Indigenous Rights Trust representative who will be in Geneva focusing on the issues raised in the joint NGO submission on indigenous peoples' rights and the Treaty of Waitangi (coordinated by the Aotearoa Indigenous Rights Trust and Peace Movement Aotearoa); UN reports on NZ's UPR; and the draft Report on NZ when it is released early next week.
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