Birmingham City University's Centre for Human Rights will be working with the Research Society of International Law in Pakistan to identify key human rights issues for their next Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
Researchers
- Dr Amna Nazir
- Dr Alice Storey
- Professor Jon Yorke
- Research Society of International Law (Pakistan)
Consultancy background
Joint Submission
Led by Dr Amna Nazir, this stakeholder report was written through a partnership with the Research Society of International Law (RSIL), Pakistan’s largest and leading legal thinktank. We make specific recommendations to the government regarding (1) national human rights institutions namely the National Commission for Human Rights in Pakistan; and (2) business and human rights.
View and download the Pakistan Joint Stakeholder Submission.
On 16 November 2022, the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights published its Stakeholder Summary Report for Pakistan, which cited both the UPR Project at BCU’s single submission and joint submission with RSIL (JS20):
“UPR BCU advised Pakistan to affirm its commitment to SDG 16 on access to justice and strong institutions through its support to the next vote on the UNGA Resolution on the moratorium on the use of the death penalty” (para 20)
“Joint Submission 20 advised to the Government to aid the Ministry of Human Rights in the implementation of the National Action Plan and pass legislation to institutionalise the principles contained in the Plan” (para 54)
Following the pre-sessions in Geneva, the European Union Delegation to the United Nations invited Dr Nazir to present at the Informal Exchange of Views with the EU Member States which took place on 6th December 2022. Dr Nazir raised concerns over (a) the death penalty; (b) the role of its national human rights institution; and (c) business and human rights, and urged Member States to issue recommendations in this regard.
EU Submission presentation sheet
(Outcome of the review yet to be published)
Individual Submission
This Stakeholder Report focuses upon capital punishment and makes recommendations to the Government of Pakistan on this key issue, implementation of which would also see Indonesia moving towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 16 which aims for peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justice for all and effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
View and download the Pakistan Stakeholder Submission.
About the UPR Project at BCU
The Centre for Human Rights (CHR) has been engaging with the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) since 2016. Under the auspice of the Human Rights Council, the UPR is an intergovernmental process providing a review of the human rights record of all Member States.
Through the UPR Project at BCU, the CHR we engage with the UPR through taking part in the UPR Pre-sessions, providing capacity building for UPR stakeholders and National Human Rights Institutions, and the filing of stakeholder reports in selected sessions. The UPR Project is designed to help meet the challenges facing the safeguarding of human rights around the world, and to help ensure that UPR recommendations are translated into domestic legal change in member state parliaments.
We fully support the UPR ethos of encouraging the sharing of best practice globally to protect everyone's human rights. The UPR Project at BCU engages with the UPR regularly as a stakeholder, having submitted numerous reports and been cited by the OHCHR.