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Summer 2017
DEFENDERS
42
ODVVWritten Submissions to
UPR Third Cycle
T
he Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is one of the objective, impartial
and universal monitoring mechanisms of the United Nations’ Human
Rights Council. The process involves a review of the human rights situation
of all UN members every four years. The review is conducted based on 3
types of documents including the reports of: (a) the State under Review
(SuR); (b) the UN bodies and (c) the Non-Governmental Organizations
(NGOs) concerned with the situation in the country.
Part of ODVV’s active participation in the Human Rights Council involves
monitoring the situation of human rights in the countries and making written
contributions to UPR Working Group sessions, recommending the SuRs on
how to promote human rights inside their territory. Since the First and Second
rounds of UPR are already over, the present report summarizes ODVV’s
submissions to UPR third cycle. The third round of UPR started in May 2017
(27th session of UPR held so far) and ends in November 2021 with 40th
session of UPR. The present report outlines ODVVwritten contributions for
Bahrain and the United Kingdom in UPR 27th session (May 2017); Pakistan
in 28th session (Nov 2017); Botswana, France, Israel and the United Arab
Emirates in UPR 29th session (January 2018).
ODVV Submission to Bahrain UPR,
27th session of UPR Working Group (May 2017)
ODVV distinguishes the main sources of human rights violations in Bahrain
as follows: torture, violent treatment of protesters who exercise their right to
freedom of expression, revoking Citizenship and leaving people stateless as
a form of punishment, life sentence, forced exile and execution of political
activists which is contrary to human rights law, violation of freedom of
peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, fundamental human rights
including children’s rights in Bahrain prisons and freedom of religion.
ODVV believes that Bahrain’s joining to a number of international
conventions can promote the situation of human rights in the country.
Studying the breaches of human rights in Bahrain, ODVV calls on the
country to:
- Join the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. The
country is urged to ratify the convention and take practical steps
to alleviate the ongoing sufferings of the vulnerable group.