Countries: World, Lesotho, Peru, Uzbekistan Source: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights 23 June 2025Delivered by: Ms. Nada Al-Nashif, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human RightsAs we progress into the second half of the fourth cycle of the UPR, this is an opportune moment to consider the achievements of the UPR.Let me start by thanking the Group of Friends of the UPR - comprising the Permanent Missions of Argentina, Armenia, Fiji, Norway, Pakistan, and South Africa - for their cross-regional initiative to co-sponsor this event, resulting in the adoption by consensus of Council resolution 51/30 on the Strengthening of the UPR Voluntary Funds.Particularly, in what we all recognize to be a frayed multilateral climate, the UPR really stands as a very crucial mechanism through which human rights situations globally can be discussed. We pride ourselves on this peer-review mechanism and its anchoring in nationally owned processes.Over the years, the outcomes of the UPR have increasingly served as a guide for the Member States in upholding their obligations, for the United Nations (and this is really witnessed by the increasing participation of Resident Coordinators from every spot of the world when the UPR is discussed), and for the wider international community, particularly civil society partners and NGOs, who work all together collaboratively towards the protection and promotion of human rights.Many important entry points are established from the recommendations that look at economic, cultural and social rights in a holistic manner. And that is why the continued emphasis on the full and equal participation of all States is essential.You also just heard about the importance of the Voluntary Funds. Since their establishment in 2007, the UPR Voluntary Fund for Implementation and the UPR Voluntary Fund for Participation have provided critical financial and technical assistance to countries seeking support in their engagement with the mechanism, and to the enhancement of the participation of States - particularly least developed countries and Small Island Developing States. This has really bolstered what happens when everybody goes back home and get down to the business of implementation.The impact of these voluntary funds is undeniable. Since their inception, 119 countries have benefitted from the travel assistance provided by the UPR Voluntary Fund for Participation, which has allowed 262 delegates to actively engage with the UPR during the reviews. Just noting, again, that 60 per cent of beneficiaries are from LDCs and SIDS.Meanwhile, the UPR Voluntary Fund for Implementation has supported seed projects in over 90 countries across all regions, with over USD 7,400,00 disbursed. That, again, has made a critical contribution to the institutional capacity of Governments, including the follow-up and the tangible implementation of UPR recommendations.Since the adoption of Council resolution 51/30, we have deployed UPR advisers to support Member States in each OHCHR regional office, which has been a major step to enable us to respond in real time to the growing demand for technical assistance and provide timely advice to States in implementing recommendations.Just some examples of how we have yielded tangible results from this collaborative work. In 2024, in Lesotho, OHCHR supported the drafting of legislation to establish a national human rights institution in line with the Paris Principles (and often a lot of recommendations that come out of the UPR relate to national human rights institutions); in Peru, support was provided to bolster the capacity of the Office of the Attorney General in investigating human rights violations in the context of social protests; and in Uzbekistan, the Fund assisted the National Center for Human Rights in crafting a national action plan for the implementation of recommendations. These are typical examples that come from across the world, and we have many further examples. I think today’s panel discussion will showcase those examples in the spirit of peer-learning, really providing an opportunity to renew efforts to learn even more and, perhaps, think about what some of the best learning experiences can be.We need more support for the Funds to be sustainable, as well as support for the UPR regional advisers to go well beyond the fourth cycle. In addition to financial contributions, we also need the Human Rights Council to take the action required for the extension of that advisory support beyond mid-2027.I hope this event will provide an adequate platform to launch this discussion, which should not stop today, and really go much beyond and continue to cross fertilize our experiences.