2021 PNG and Human Rights – Universal Periodic Review

In preparation for Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) Third Cycle of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the Diplomacy Training Program (DTP) developed and delivered an online capacity building program for civil society in PNG. The program objectives were to increase knowledge of, and enable participation in, the UPR process and to build networking on human rights among different civil society groups across PNG. For this program, DTP partnered with the Pacific Islands Association of NGOs (PIANGO), Citizen’s Constitutional Forum (CCF) and the United Nations Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The program is being implemented in phases to follow the UPR schedule for PNG in 2021 and 2022. While the COVID pandemic requires the initial phases to be delivered online, it is hoped that later phases may be held face-to-face in PNG and that some CSO representatives maybe able to attend thee UPR session in Geneva.

Over the course of eight online sessions held in March 2021, the first phase of the program had over 90 participants from various regions of PNG come together to gain knowledge and understanding of human rights, engage in dialogue regarding key human rights issues, build networks and work collaboratively to make recommendations to improve the protection and fulfilment of human rights in PNG. The program was one of a number of complementary initiatives to support civil society engagement in the UPR process. Program participants were able to hear from and engage with representatives from Amnesty International, CIVICUS and Human Rights Watch.