HIGHLIGHTS OF RESULTS HIGHLIGHTS OF RESULTS In Uruguay, successful stakeholder mobilization in relation to the UPR review enabled concrete follow-up at the national level. As a result, 20 reports from civil society organizations and one report from the UNCT were submitted in anticipation of the country’s third UPR cycle. UN Human Rights held six workshops that were attended by approximately 150 participants from civil society organizations, the national human rights institution and the UNCT. The objective of the workshops was to build the capacity of these actors to develop reports and follow up on the implementation of the recommendations accepted by Uruguay. Highlights of pillar results Mechanisms (M) PILLAR RESULTS / SHIFTS / SDGs RESULTS / SPOTLIGHTS M1 In a notable development and following intensive advocacy efforts by UN Human Rights, the Government of Jamaica approved the formal establishment and institutionalization of the InterMinisterial Committee on Human Rights as the official national entity for reporting and follow up to the UN human rights mechanisms. National institutionalized structures facilitate an integrated and participatory approach to reporting to the human rights mechanisms and implementation of their recommendations. Spotlights: Youth Disabilities In December, UN Human Rights presented its database project on National Human Rights Recommendations Tracking Database to the newly established Inter-Ministerial Committee. The objective of the database is to facilitate recording, tracking and reporting on the national-level implementation of human rights recommendations emanating from the international, regional and national human rights mechanisms. Jamaica is expected to join the pilot phase of the project. As a result of advocacy by UN Human Rights with national counterparts in Chad, the Government ratified CRPD and ICRMW, thereby strengthening the national legal framework for the protection of these two groups in vulnerable situations. UN Human Rights will continue its advocacy with the Government and the National Assembly for the ratification of pending international human rights treaties. In the Pacific, national authorities enhanced their capacities to report to the human rights mechanisms and implement their recommendations, following capacity building by UN Human Rights. As a result of training provided by UN Human Rights, the members of the NMRFs in Kiribati, the Marshall Islands and Vanuatu increased their coordination, consultation and information management capacities. UN Human Rights also shared the terms of reference and good practices of NMRFs from other countries. These interventions led to the constructive engagement of the Marshall Islands with the CRC and CEDAW Committees, the finalization of Kiribati’s initial report to CRPD and its periodic reports to CRC and CEDAW and the drafting of Vanuatu’s initial reports to the Human Rights Committee and CAT. All of these reporting initiatives were led by NMRFs in their respective countries. M2 Civil society organizations, national human rights institutions, and non-traditional actors, particularly those working on emerging human rights issues (frontier issues), increasingly engage with the international human rights mechanisms and use their outcomes. 18 UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2018 Shifts: Building on the UN Human Rights capacity-building efforts during the previous Management Plan 2014-2017, unprecedented progress was achieved in North Macedonia on the level of engagement of national civil society with the international human rights mechanisms in 2018. Compared to previous years, triple the number of civil society public submissions were made in anticipation of the 2018 reviews of North Macedonia by CEDAW, CRPD and in the context of the third UPR cycle, in January 2019. The number of joint submissions by participating organizations tripled as well. More specifically, 26 national civil society organizations and networks prepared 14 joint and thematically coordinated submissions. The submissions focused on concerns of those “left behind” - women farmers, Roma women, and sex workers. The CEDAW and CRPD recommendations that were issued in November and September 2018, respectively, fully reflected the views of the civil society organizations, creating a solid basis for their further advocacy, programming and follow-up. Global Constituency Prevention Civic Space In Chile, one dialogue session and eight workshops were carried out across the country in preparation for the country’s third UPR cycle. A total of 272 individuals were trained, resulting in the preparation of 37 individual submissions and 30 joint submissions. In some cases, the submissions were the first to be made by indigenous peoples, persons of African descent and rural communities. Women EMPOWERING THE MARSHALL ISLANDS TO ENGAGE WITH THE HUMAN RIGHTS MECHANISMS For Karina de Brum, advancing awareness about human rights in her home country comes through engagement with the international human rights mechanisms. Ms de Brum, a Human Rights Officer in the Ministry of Culture and Internal Affairs within the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), came to this conclusion after attending a regional training in Fiji, in 2017. The training was organized by the UN Human Rights Regional Office for the Pacific with the support of the UN Human Rights Treaty Body Capacity-Building Programme. Ms de Brum was among 25 State representatives from 13 countries in the region who participated in the training. Responsible for coordinating and advancing human rights work within the Ministry, including assisting the National Human Rights Committee to draft the reports to treaty bodies relevant to RMI, Ms de Brum shared how useful the regional training on ICESCR and human rights indicators had been. She also joined a subsequent UN Human Rights training session on treaty body reporting procedures and on National Mechanisms for Reporting and Follow-up (NMRFs) on the recommendations issued by international mechanisms, which was held by UN Human Rights, in February, in the capital city of Majuro. Ms de Brum attended the training with 16 government officials, most of whom Shifts: Climate change Corruption were members of the National Human Rights Committee of the Marshall Islands. “I am now more familiar with the mandates and functions of the international human rights mechanisms, particularly the treaty body reporting procedures,” Ms de Brum said. She added that the training enabled participants like her who work on human rights issues on a daily basis to better report and follow-up on the recommendations concerning human rights. Ms de Brum, who was new to this area of work, said it had been challenging. “I used to hear a lot of my colleagues saying that the reporting obligations under international human rights treaties was a burden for a small island country like RMI and I understand why they thought so,” she said. In March, she joined the government delegation to attend the constructive dialogue with CEDAW, which considered RMI’s combined initial, second and third periodic reports. “It has further increased my understanding and confidence,” she said. “I am currently assisting the National Human Rights Committee, an NMRF on reporting and follow-up in the RMI, to finalize the initial report to CRPD,” she said before adding, “the technical support we have received from UN Human Rights and other regional partners Inequalities New technologies Karina de Brum © OHCHR/Pacific in respect of meeting treaty reporting obligations has been crucial.” She further added that RMI’s accession to ICCPR and ICESCR in 2018 was a major achievement and further solidified the country’s commitment to human rights standards. From her perspective, the growing commitment of RMI to international human rights treaties will make her reporting job more challenging while at the same time being a welcome advancement in the protection of human rights. “With the technical support from UN Human Rights and collaboration with other regional partners, I believe the Marshall Islands can benefit.” People on the move UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2018 19