The Universal Periodic Review Academic Network
CHR members, Dr Alice Storey and Dr Amna Nazir, in conjunction with Dr Damian Etone (Stirling) founded the UPR Academic Network which aims to create a global network of researchers and academics working on the UPR to share their expertise, as well as foster international and interdisciplinary collaborations.
Researchers:
- Dr Alice Storey
- Dr Amna Nazir
- Dr Damian Etone (University of Stirling)
Background:
Dr Alice Storey, Senior Lecturer in Law at Birmingham City University, Dr Amna Nazir, Reader in International Human Rights at Birmingham City University and Dr Damian Etone, Lecturer in Law at the University of Stirling, launched the UPR Academic Network in June 2022.
The UPR Academic Network (UPRAN) is an international network of global scholars working on the UN's Universal Periodic Review. The Universal Periodic Review is an intergovernmental process providing a review of the human rights record of all UN Member States. The UPRAN is a new strand of the BCU Centre for Human Rights' UPR Project at BCU, which directly engages with the Universal Periodic Review mechanism by submitting reports to selected countries' reviews and engaging in advocacy with governments and civil society.
On 15th June 2022, the UPRAN held its virtual inaugural workshop with scholars joining from across the globe. Members discussed their current work on the UPR, and how their current and future research could have an impact on human rights.
UPRAN members range from PhD students through to very experienced scholars from various backgrounds across the world. The UPRAN aims to create a network of researchers and academics working on the UPR to share their expertise as well as foster international and interdisciplinary collaborations. The co-founders have published an Edited Collection as a first step towards achieving the UPRAN’s aims.
After ten years of the existence of the UPR mechanism, this Edited Collection examines the effectiveness of the UPR, theoretical and conceptual debates about its modus operandi, and the lessons that can be drawn across different regions/states to identify possible improvements.
A UPRAN website has also been developed to provide a database of academics working on the UPR across the globe, current projects underway on the UPR, and a list of publications on the mechanism ranging from PhD theses to journal articles and more. For more information, please visit the website here.
If you are an academic or researcher working on the UPR, please email upracademicnetwork@gmail.com to register your interest! You can keep in touch via the Twitter page: @UPRAcademics