Universal Periodic Review 2010
The U.N.’s first Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the U.S., taking place on November 5th from 9:00am until 1:00pm Geneva time (3:00am-7:00am EST), offers an important opportunity both to measure how the U.S. is meeting its human rights obligations and to continue pressuring the government to live up to those obligations.
Every four years, the UN Human Rights Council assesses each country's adherence to its human rights obligations under the U.N. Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), human rights treaties ratified by the country, its voluntary commitments, and applicable international law. Reviews are conducted by the UPR Working Group, which consists of 47 members of the U.N. Human Rights Council. This will be the first time the U.S. is directly reviewed on its performance in ensuring the right to housing.
UPR Opportunities for Intervention |
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Housing Issues Cluster Report |
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During the review, in addition to a 20-page “national report” provided by the country under review and the reports of U.N. bodies, the Working Group considers reports from other “stakeholders” such as civil society, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and national human rights institutions. NLCHP coordinated a 10-page Housing Issues Cluster Report to ensure housing rights issues are appropriately highlighted in the review. Recommendations in the report include: 1) expanding federal programs making vacant properties available for use as housing, 2) placing a moratorium on demolitions of public housing and mandating one-for-one replacement, and 3) removing policies that prevent people from accessing existing housing such as lifetime bans for minor arrests. This report will allow advocates to hold accountable the U.S. government for ignoring the recommendations already made by human rights experts.
For the full text of the report click here .
For news coverage regarding the report click here .
A guide to the UPR process and a model report are available at the US Human Rights Network UPR Coordination site . |
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State DepartmentCity Consultations and Site Visits |
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In conjunction with this review, the State Department will be conducting a road tour to solicit input for the government’s report to the UN. They will be visiting the following cities (dates and sites subject to change):
- New Orleans (Jan. 26)
- Chicago (TBD)
- Albuquerque,NM (Feb. 23-24)
- New York City,NY(Feb. 26)
- Dearborn (Mar. 3)
- El Paso (Mar. 8-9)
- Birmingham/Tuscaloosa (Mar. 11-12)
- San Francisco (Mar. 22-23)
- Geneva (March 25)
NLCHP is happy to assist groups who want to participate in each of these locations with connecting them to resources and site coordinators (where known).
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Resources |
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Summary of UN Findings and Recommendations on U.S. Housing Rights 2006-2010
In preparation for the Universal Periodic Review of the U.S. by the UN Human Rights Council in November 2010, which will cover the human rights situation from 2006-2010, this document excerpts findings and recommendations made by UN human rights observers during that time on specific housing issues in the U.S. Many of the documents excerpted have significantly more related findings and recommendations, in particular the Special Rapporteur reports, and the full text of each of these documents is available by clicking the links in the document.
General UPR Information
Great resource for background information on the UPR itself. Provides explanations of what a state must submit as well as how NGOs can participate. Particularly interesting is the Database features which allows one to look at all the comments, questions and recommendations made to a country, by country. It also shows how that country responded. There is however very little information about the United States. |
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New York City UPR Listening Session |
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This daylong government listening session, held on February 26, 2010, was cosponsored by the National LawCenter on Homelessness & Poverty, ColumbiaLawSchool’s Human Rights Institute and the Urban JusticeCenter. It was the third in a series of eight listening sessions. It featured presentations by advocates highlighting human rights issues related to housing, employment and labor, education, health and criminal justice. Speakers on housing issues included New York groups such as: Picture the Homeless, Tenants and Neighbors, Community Voices Heard, the New York chapter of the National Alliance of HUD Tenants and L’ORAGE Productions. It offered an unprecedented opportunity for human rights advocates in New York to engage directly with the Administration, offering recommendations that will enhance human rights and dignity across the nation. Representatives from State, Housing & Urban Development, and Justice Departments among others, attended.
Links to Testimony:
Eric Tars, National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty
Tyler Chase, L'ORAGE Productions
Chris Wood
Arthur Wood
Connie Crothers
Deborah Masters
Press Release
NLCHP Blog Coverage
New York Times Blog Coverage |
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Chicago UPR Listening Session
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As in New York, another listening session was held in Chicago.
For the agenda of the sessions click here .
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