On Wednesday, 14 December the Global Centre joined the Permanent Missions of Luxembourg and Sierra Leone, as well as UPR Info, in hosting an event entitled “UPR & R2P: Utilizing the Universal Periodic Review to strengthen structural prevention of atrocity crimes.” During this event, panelists commented on how to effectively use the UPR in supporting atrocity prevention and shared best practices.

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) can play an important role in each country’s preparedness to protect human rights and prevent mass atrocities. As a unique mechanism for assessing and improving state responsiveness across all human rights issues, the UPR can encourage governments to strengthen national capacities to identify risk factors for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing and to institutionalize tools and policies for the prevention of atrocity crimes. UPR outcomes can mobilize international support through technical assistance and capacity building to strengthen national institutions and societal resilience to atrocity crimes.

The atrocity prevention lens has yet to be systematically utilized during the UPR process. The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect and UPR Info are currently hosting a series of online regional training workshops for civil society organizations around the world on how to include an atrocity prevention lens in their UPR work.

SPEAKERS INCLUDED:

• • • Opening remarks: H.E. Federico Villegas, President of the Human Rights Council Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Argentina
    • H.E. Lansana Alison Gberie, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Sierra Leone
    • Luc Dockendorf, Deputy Permanent, Representative, Permanent Mission of Luxembourg
    • Mona M’Bikay, Executive Director, UPR Info (Moderator)
    • Elisabeth Pramendorfer, Geneva Representative, Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect