Universal Periodic Review

The United Nations General Assembly Resolution 60/251, which established the Human Rights Council in 2006, also established the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) as a peer review mechanism for the assessment and advancement of human rights in all 193 UN Member States. As set out by the General Assembly, the Council is mandated to:

Undertake a universal periodic review, based on objective and reliable information, of the fulfilment by each State of its human rights obligations and commitments in a manner which ensures universality of coverage and equal treatment with respect to all States; the review shall be a cooperative mechanism, based on an interactive dialogue, with the full involvement of the country concerned and with consideration given to its capacity-building needs; such a mechanism shall complement and not duplicate the work of treaty bodies.

UPR reviews are formally conducted by the UPR Working Group of the Council which comprises all 47 Council Member States. The UPR Working Group reviews UPR reports in UPR Sessions three times per year in Geneva, with up to 14 countries undergoing review per session. Each UPR is facilitated by a troika (group of three) of Council Member States, but the UPR process is open to participation by all UN Member States whether or not elected members of the Council, as well as to non-governmental stakeholders.

In the first UPR cycle, 48 States were reviewed each year over a four-year period. Following an assessment of the first cycle, the Human Rights Council decided in 2011 to extend the second and subsequent UPR cycles to four and a half years. Under this revised schedule, 14 States are reviewed per session, with three sessions held annually, resulting in approximately 42 States reviewed each year and all 193 UN Member States reviewed by the end of each cycle. This adjustment responded to feedback from States and non-government actors, allowing more time for each State’s review despite fewer reviews per session. The first cycle concluded in October 2011, the second cycle ran from March 2012 to November 2016, and the third cycle spanned February 2017 to January 2022. The fourth cycle began in November 2021 and is scheduled to conclude in 2027.

The UPR process is composed of the following steps:

1. Preparation and submission of the written reports by the State, civil society, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights which provide a foundation for the peer review.
2. During the UPR Session, the reports are presented orally, followed by an interactive dialogue where UN Member States make comments and recommendations to the State under review.
3. The troika prepares a summary report of the comments and recommendations; the State may indicate its acceptance or rejection of the recommendations.
4. The final outcome report is adopted by the Council and both States and civil society organizations with ECOSOC consultative status are permitted to deliver oral comments on the UPR outcome report.
5. The State reports on its implementation of the recommendations during the next UPR cycle.

The UPR process includes several formal engagement opportunities for non-government actors, such as during consultations on the national report submitted by the State under review, via written submissions to the Council, and through oral statements at the adoption of the UPR reports by the Council.

Learn more about access and advocacy opportunities with the UN Human Rights Council by reading the IJRC Primer for Advocacy Opportunities with the Human Rights Council and 10 Essential Steps for First-Time Advocacy at the Human Rights Council.  The complete requirements pertaining to civil society actors’ submissions to the UPR can be found in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ publication, Universal Periodic Review: A Practical Guide for Civil Society and its technical guidelines for UPR participation.

Starting in August 2025, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with ECOSOC status are being asked to use the new online “EVENTS” platform to submit written statements and register to make oral statements. Guidance on how to use this new online platform is available on the Human Rights Council’s page on NGO participation.