Lithuania actively participated in the 41st session of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council
On 7-18 November, the 41st session of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council took place, marking the beginning of the 4th cycle for 14 states: Bahrain, Ecuador, Tunisia, Morocco, Indonesia, Finland, the United Kingdom, India, Algeria, Philippines, Brazil, Poland, the Netherlands and South Africa.
Lithuania actively engaged in the session and provided recommendations to 9 out of the 14 states: Bahrain, Finland, the United Kingdom, India, Algeria, Philippines, Brazil, Poland and the Netherlands. All of Lithuania’s recommendations were focused on the ratification of the UN Conventions or their Optional Protocols, and Lithuania’s thematic priorities at the UN Human Rights Council, namely, freedoms of expression, assembly and association, safety of journalists, as well as the protection of human rights defenders, gender equality, rights of persons with disabilities, rights of women and children.
In addition, Lithuania, along with Côte d’Ivoire and the Republic of Korea, was a Troika member of the UPR of the United Kingdom. The Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva, Ambassador Darius Staniulis presented the draft report of the Woking Group on the UPR of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on behalf of the Troika members.
The UPR was established together with the creation of the UN Human Rights Council in 2006. The first UPR Working Group session took place in 2008. It is one of the most successful mechanisms of the Human Rights Council. It involves a review of the human rights records of all UN member states and provides the opportunity for each state to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries, and to fulfil their human rights obligations. Lithuania had its reviews in 2011, 2017 and in January 2022. The next review for Lithuania is scheduled to take place at the 54th session of the Working Group on the UPR of the UN Human Rights Council in January 2027.
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