session, when a one-hour meeting is devoted
to each State under review, UN entities and
stakeholders, including national human rights
institutions and NGOs, have the opportunity to
make interventions.
UN entities may facilitate local access to the UPR
meetings (webcast by the UN) by convening
targeted or inclusive public screenings. In the
follow-up phase, UN entities can provide support
by, inter alia, ensuring the translation (including
in minority languages) and broad dissemination
of UPR documents, encourage/facilitate the use
of the recommendations, including on minority
issues, by all relevant actors at the national level,
and consider UPR documentation when preparing UN planning instruments, including CCA/
UNDAFs and agencies’ specific programmes.63
for Human Rights may play a mediation and
diplomacy role in situations that may escalate
into conflict by encouraging dialogue among
the parties concerned.
Second, CERD has established an early warning
mechanism to draw the attention of its members to situations where racial discrimination
has reached alarming levels. The Committee
has adopted both early warning measures
and urgent procedures to prevent as well as to
respond more effectively to violations of ICERD.
11.11 UN EARLY WARNING
MECHANISMS (EWMs)
Early warning mechanisms have been set up
to prevent, inter alia, racial, ethnic or religious
tensions from escalating into conflicts. Three
types of provisions for EWMs established by
the UN should be mentioned in the context of
minority protection. First, the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights is mandated to
monitor and prevent human rights violations. In
carrying out its mission, OHCHR gives priority to
addressing the most pressing human rights violations, both acute and chronic, particularly those
that put life in imminent peril. OHCHR responds
to emerging human rights crises by anticipating
and responding to deteriorating human rights
situations across the globe, including through
fact finding missions and commissions of inquiry
that investigate serious allegations of human
rights abuses. The UN High Commissioner
63
For more information on the Universal Periodic Review see www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/UPRMain.aspx (accessed 9 August 2009).
Chapter 11: UN Standards and Mechanisms
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