Abstract
The Universal Periodic Review is a comprehensive, state-to-state peer-review mechanism of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council. Created in 2006, the mechanism scrutinizes the human rights record of all UN Member States, including their efforts to realize the right to health. However, the mechanism is relatively under-used in global health governance compared to treaty-based procedures, such as those overseen by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities or the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. We suggest that the Universal Periodic Review could be used to support the monitoring and review processes of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The review could offer a unique perspective for other actors on how to ensure accountability for the complex and intertwined SDGs, including their commitments for health. This article provides an overview of how health-related rights have been addressed in the Universal Periodic Review process and how the review can contribute to advancing global commitments to health, including those embodied in the SDGs. We present some of the current limitations in the way health is addressed in the Universal Periodic Review. We also consider what role specialized UN agencies, such as the World Health Organization, might play during the Universal Periodic Review process and how this involvement can contribute towards the comprehensive realization of health and wellbeing for all.
Highlights
The Universal Periodic Review is a state-led, peer-review mechanism of the inter-governmental Human Rights Council that reviews United Nations (UN) Member States’ fulfilment of international human rights standards.[1]
The review draws from three sources of information: (i) a national report provided by the state under review; (ii) a compilation report of UN information on the state under review prepared by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, including information from UN human rights mechanisms and other official UN documentation, which can be provided by UN agencies and country teams; and (iii) a stakeholders report, which summarizes information provided by other actors, notably civil society and national human rights institutions
We provide an overview of how health-related rights have been addressed in the Universal Periodic Review process and how the review can contribute to advancing global commitments to health
Summary
The Universal Periodic Review is a state-led, peer-review mechanism of the inter-governmental Human Rights Council that reviews United Nations (UN) Member States’ fulfilment of international human rights standards.[1]. In the Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization, he urged UN programmes “to strengthen the relevance, precision and impact of the [Human Rights Council] including by providing better support to Member States in implementation, stronger collaboration with United Nations country teams and...to link the Universal Periodic Review to the implementation of the [SDGs].”23. The prominence of health in the first two Universal Periodic Review cycles offers opportunities for organizations engaged in global public health to support implementation of these recommendations in-country and to ensure sustained attention to them at global level In this context, we argue that WHO could play a much more influential role in the Universal Periodic Review process, through increased collaborative data sharing and to provide more technical assistance. This statement provides further support of the alignment of WHO’s work to the Universal Periodic Review
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