Universal Periodic Review (UPR): 15th Session
The 15th session of the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review will take place from January 21 through February 1, 2013. During this session, the Council will review and confirm reports on the human rights situation in France, Tonga, Romania, Mali, Botswana, the Bahamas, Burundi, Luxembourg, Barbados, Montenegro, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Lichtenstein, and Serbia. When conducting the UPR, the Council reviews reports from States under review, human rights groups in the State under review, and human rights treaty bodies among others which will be available online.
NGOs with ECOSOC consultative status that would like to observe the UPR proceedings in Geneva or host an information session during the UPR must register online by January 7, 2013.
Commission for Social Development: 51st Session
The theme for the 51st session of the UN Commission for Social Development is “Promoting Empowerment of People in Achieving Poverty Eradication, Social Integration and Full Employment and Decent Work for All.” In New York from February 6 through February 15, 2013, the Commission will review UN plans and programs in relevant areas including development in relation to disabled persons, youth, aging, and the family. Each morning of the 51st session, the NGO Committee on Social Development will host a briefing session that will review the Commission’s work and provide NGO representatives the ability to speak with “the Bureau of the Commission, delegations, and officials of the Secretariat.”
NGOs may contribute to the Commission’s 51st session by participating in the NGO Committee on Social Development’s Civil Society Forum taking place on February 5, 2012. At the close of the Forum, the NGOs will adopt a declaration that will be presented during the Commission’s first meeting on February 6. NGOs with ECOSOC consultative status that wish to attend the Session must register online by January 25, 2013.
Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW): 54th Session
The theme of CEDAW’s 54th Session is “Access to Justice” and the Session will take place from February 11 through March 1, 2013 in Geneva. The Committee will review compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women for the following Member States: Angola, Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Pakistan, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and the Solomon Islands. Member States’ reports and NGOs reports that the Committee will use when assessing compliance with the Convention are available online.
NGOs seeking to attend the Session must register online by February 1, 2013. NGOs and National Human Rights Institutions may submit reports to CEDAW or orally present reports discussing Member States’ implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. For details on submitting reports, see the Session’s website.
Commission on the Status of Women (CSW): 57th Session
The CSW’s 57th Session will take place in New York at UN Headquarters from March 4 through March 15, 2013. The theme of this session is “Elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls.” The CSW will also review developments since it adopted conclusions during the 53rd Session on the theme of “the equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including caregiving in the context of HIV/AIDS.”
NGOs with ECOSOC consultative status may attend the 57th session by registering online by January 23, 2013. NGOs without ECOSOC consultative status may still attend or organize parallel events and for all stakeholders unable to attend, the session will be broadcast online. NGOs seeking to make an oral presentation during the session or to make a statement during an interactive expert panel must register online by February 19, 2013.
Human Rights Committee: 107th Session
The Human Rights Committee will convene from March 11 through March 28, 2013 in Geneva to evaluate the compliance of selected Member States with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Member States under review at the 107th session include: Angola, Paraguay, Peru, Macao, Hong Kong, and Belize. The Committee will also adopt lists of issues – establishing the basis of the Member State’s upcoming review – for Tajikistan, the Czech Republic, the United States, Indonesia, Bolivia, Mauritania, Mozambique, and Djibouti. Following review of these Member States, the Committee will publish concluding observations, addressing areas where the Member State has improved and needs to improve. NGOs may submit follow-up reports to appraise the Committee of Member States’ compliance with the ICCPR after the Committee adopts concluding observations.
The Committee’s agenda is available online, as are the Member States’ reports on their compliance with the ICCPR. Any NGOs may submit “alternative reports” concerning Member States for which the Committee is going to determine a list of issues at the 107th session. The deadline for these reports is December 28, 2012. For more information, see the Committee’s website. NGOs may also attend public meetings at the 107th session, though they may only address the Committee during informal, private meetings.