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State Human Rights Performance and Recommendations under the Universal Periodic Review

Year 2020, , 5 - 21, 20.12.2019
https://doi.org/10.20991/allazimuth.574824

Abstract

This paper analyzes recommendations made to
states under the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
in order to determine whether or not the UPR is making meaningful
recommendations to states under review. The UPR reviews the human rights of all
UN Member States every four years. During the review, each state receives a
number of recommendations from other UN member states. This paper uses data
from UPR Info to determine if states with better human rights performance as
measured by the CIRI human rights data project receive fewer recommendations
than states with worse performance. It finds that, even when controlling for
other factors, states with worse records on civil and political rights
generally receive more recommendations than states with better records. States
with lower scores from CIRI on women's economic and political rights receive
more recommendations regarding women's issues than states with higher scores.
These findings hold regardless of region, suggesting that, at a minimum, the
UPR process is identifying violators of human rights
.

References

  • Abebe, Allehone Mulugeta. “Of Shaming and Bargaining: African States and the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations Human Rights Council.” Human Rights Law Review 9, no. 1 (2009): 1–35. Achen, Christopher H. “Let's Put Garbage–can Regressions and Garbage–can Probits Where they Belong.” Conflict Management and Peace Science 22, (2005): 327–39. Baird, Natalie. “The Role of International Non–Governmental Organizations in the Universal Periodic Review of Pacific Island States: Can “Doing Good” be done Better?” Melbourne Journal of International Law 16, no. 2 (2015): 1–37. Carraro, Valentina. “The United Nations Treaty Bodies and Universal Periodic Review: Advancing Human Rights by Preventing Politicization?” Human Rights Quarterly 39, no. 4 (2017): 943–70. Cassayre, Mark. “Statement by the Delegation of the United States of America Delivered by Mark Cassayre.” accessed 9/21, 2018. https://geneva.usmission.gov/2009/06/12/item6unhrc/. Cingranelli, David L., and David L. Richards. “The Cingranelli and Richards (CIRI) Human Rights Data Project.” Human Rights Quarterly 32, no. 2 (2010): 401–24. Cingranelli, David L., David L. Richards, and K. C. Clay. “The CIRI Human Rights Dataset. Version 2014.04.14.” Accessed September 21, 2018. http://www.humanrightsdata.com. Cowan, Jane K., and Julie Billaud. “Between Learning and Schooling: The Politics of Human Rights Monitoring at the Universal Periodic Review.” Third World Quarterly 36, no. 6 (2015): 1175–190. Davies, Mathew. “Rhetorical Inaction? Compliance and the Human Rights Council of the United Nations.” Alternatives: Global, Local, Political 35, no. 4 (Oct, 2010): 449–68. Desmond, Alan. “The Triangle that could Square the Circle? The UN International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, the EU and the Universal Periodic Review.” European Journal of Migration and Law 17, no. 1 (2015): 39–69. Hong, Mi Hwa. “Legal Commitments to United Nations Human Rights Treaties and Higher Monitoring Standards in the Universal Periodic Review.” Journal of Human Rights (2018): 1–14. Landolt, Laura K. “Externalizing Human Rights: From Commission to Council, the Universal Periodic Review and Egypt.” Human Rights Review 14, no. 2 (2013): 107–29. McMahon, Edward, and Elissa Johnson. Evolution Not Revolution: The First Two Cycles of the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review Mechanism. Germany: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, 2016. McMahon, Edward, and Marta Ascherio. “A Step Ahead in Promoting Human Rights? the Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council.” Global Governance: A Review of Multilateralism and International Organizations 18, no. 2 (2012): 231–48. McMahon, Edward, Kojo Busia, and Marta Ascherio. “Comparing Peer Reviews: The Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council and the African Peer Review Mechanism.” African and Asian Studies 12, no. 3 (2013): 266–89. Milewicz, Karolina M., and Robert E. Goodin. “Deliberative Capacity Building through International Organizations: The Case of the Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights.” British Journal of Political Science 48, no. 2 (2018): 513–33. doi:10.1017/S0007123415000708. Patel, Gayatri. “How ‘Universal’ is the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review Process? An Examination of the Discussions Held on Polygamy.” Human Rights Review 18, no. 4 (2017): 459–83. Redondo, Elvira Domínguez. “The Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council: An Assessment of the First Session.” Chinese Journal of International Law 7, no. 3 (2008): 721–34. Smith, Rhona K. M. “‘To See Themselves as Others See Them’: The Five Permanent Members of the Security Council and the Human Right Council's Universal Periodic Review.” Human Rights Quarterly 35, no. 1 (2013): 1–32. ———. “Equality of 'Nations Large and Small': Testing the Theory of the Universal Periodic Review in the Asia–Pacific.” Asia–Pacific Journal on Human Rights and the Law 12, no. 2 (2011): 36–54. Sweeney, Gareth, and Yuri Saito. “An NGO Assessment of the New Mechanisms of the UN Human Rights Council.” Human Rights Law Review 9, no. 2 (2009): 203–23. Terman, Rochelle, and Erik Voeten. “The Relational Politics of Shame: Evidence from the Universal Periodic Review.” Review of International Organizations 13, no. 1 (2018): 1–23. Víegas–Silva, Marisa. “El Nuevo Consejo De Derechos Humanos De La Organización De Las Naciones Unidas: Algunas Consideractiones Sobre Su Creación y Su Primer Año De Funcionamiento.” Revista Colombiana De Derecho Internacional 12 (10, 2008): 35–66.
Year 2020, , 5 - 21, 20.12.2019
https://doi.org/10.20991/allazimuth.574824

Abstract

References

  • Abebe, Allehone Mulugeta. “Of Shaming and Bargaining: African States and the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations Human Rights Council.” Human Rights Law Review 9, no. 1 (2009): 1–35. Achen, Christopher H. “Let's Put Garbage–can Regressions and Garbage–can Probits Where they Belong.” Conflict Management and Peace Science 22, (2005): 327–39. Baird, Natalie. “The Role of International Non–Governmental Organizations in the Universal Periodic Review of Pacific Island States: Can “Doing Good” be done Better?” Melbourne Journal of International Law 16, no. 2 (2015): 1–37. Carraro, Valentina. “The United Nations Treaty Bodies and Universal Periodic Review: Advancing Human Rights by Preventing Politicization?” Human Rights Quarterly 39, no. 4 (2017): 943–70. Cassayre, Mark. “Statement by the Delegation of the United States of America Delivered by Mark Cassayre.” accessed 9/21, 2018. https://geneva.usmission.gov/2009/06/12/item6unhrc/. Cingranelli, David L., and David L. Richards. “The Cingranelli and Richards (CIRI) Human Rights Data Project.” Human Rights Quarterly 32, no. 2 (2010): 401–24. Cingranelli, David L., David L. Richards, and K. C. Clay. “The CIRI Human Rights Dataset. Version 2014.04.14.” Accessed September 21, 2018. http://www.humanrightsdata.com. Cowan, Jane K., and Julie Billaud. “Between Learning and Schooling: The Politics of Human Rights Monitoring at the Universal Periodic Review.” Third World Quarterly 36, no. 6 (2015): 1175–190. Davies, Mathew. “Rhetorical Inaction? Compliance and the Human Rights Council of the United Nations.” Alternatives: Global, Local, Political 35, no. 4 (Oct, 2010): 449–68. Desmond, Alan. “The Triangle that could Square the Circle? The UN International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, the EU and the Universal Periodic Review.” European Journal of Migration and Law 17, no. 1 (2015): 39–69. Hong, Mi Hwa. “Legal Commitments to United Nations Human Rights Treaties and Higher Monitoring Standards in the Universal Periodic Review.” Journal of Human Rights (2018): 1–14. Landolt, Laura K. “Externalizing Human Rights: From Commission to Council, the Universal Periodic Review and Egypt.” Human Rights Review 14, no. 2 (2013): 107–29. McMahon, Edward, and Elissa Johnson. Evolution Not Revolution: The First Two Cycles of the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review Mechanism. Germany: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, 2016. McMahon, Edward, and Marta Ascherio. “A Step Ahead in Promoting Human Rights? the Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council.” Global Governance: A Review of Multilateralism and International Organizations 18, no. 2 (2012): 231–48. McMahon, Edward, Kojo Busia, and Marta Ascherio. “Comparing Peer Reviews: The Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council and the African Peer Review Mechanism.” African and Asian Studies 12, no. 3 (2013): 266–89. Milewicz, Karolina M., and Robert E. Goodin. “Deliberative Capacity Building through International Organizations: The Case of the Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights.” British Journal of Political Science 48, no. 2 (2018): 513–33. doi:10.1017/S0007123415000708. Patel, Gayatri. “How ‘Universal’ is the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review Process? An Examination of the Discussions Held on Polygamy.” Human Rights Review 18, no. 4 (2017): 459–83. Redondo, Elvira Domínguez. “The Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council: An Assessment of the First Session.” Chinese Journal of International Law 7, no. 3 (2008): 721–34. Smith, Rhona K. M. “‘To See Themselves as Others See Them’: The Five Permanent Members of the Security Council and the Human Right Council's Universal Periodic Review.” Human Rights Quarterly 35, no. 1 (2013): 1–32. ———. “Equality of 'Nations Large and Small': Testing the Theory of the Universal Periodic Review in the Asia–Pacific.” Asia–Pacific Journal on Human Rights and the Law 12, no. 2 (2011): 36–54. Sweeney, Gareth, and Yuri Saito. “An NGO Assessment of the New Mechanisms of the UN Human Rights Council.” Human Rights Law Review 9, no. 2 (2009): 203–23. Terman, Rochelle, and Erik Voeten. “The Relational Politics of Shame: Evidence from the Universal Periodic Review.” Review of International Organizations 13, no. 1 (2018): 1–23. Víegas–Silva, Marisa. “El Nuevo Consejo De Derechos Humanos De La Organización De Las Naciones Unidas: Algunas Consideractiones Sobre Su Creación y Su Primer Año De Funcionamiento.” Revista Colombiana De Derecho Internacional 12 (10, 2008): 35–66.
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Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Eric Cox This is me 0000-0003-3687-5899

Publication Date December 20, 2019
Published in Issue Year 2020

Cite

Chicago Cox, Eric. “State Human Rights Performance and Recommendations under the Universal Periodic Review”. All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace 9, no. 1 (December 2019): 5-21. https://doi.org/10.20991/allazimuth.574824.

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