Sep 01, 2008

UNPO UPR Statement: Nigeria


UNPO calls upon Nigeria to comply with its international law obligations in Ogoniland.

The Universal Period Review (UPR) is a scheme under which the Human Rights Council of the United Nations endeavours to review the human rights records of its members. As per General Assembly resolution 60/521 of 2006:

The General Assembly, in its resolution 60/251, mandated the Council to

"undertake a universal periodic review, based on objective and reliable information, of the fulfillment by each State of its human rights obligations and commitments in a manner which ensures universality of coverage and equal treatment with respect to all States; the review shall be a cooperative mechanism, based on an interactive dialogue, with the full involvement of the country concerned and with consideration given to its capacity-building needs; such a mechanism shall complement and not duplicate the work of treaty bodies."

Submissions are invited from the member state under review, civil society, nongovernmental organizations, and relevant stakeholders. The resulting reports is subsequently examined by a UPR Working Group. States under review and relevant stakeholders are then invited to respond to any questions or issues that may have arisen. The outcome of the working group and subsequent presentations is the adopted by the plenary.

As the upcoming 4th session of the Human Rights Council meeting sees Nigeria under review, UNPO has submitted a report on behalf of UNPO Member Ogoni. The report includes discussion of:

  • Land rights and environmental protection
  • Judicial ineffectiveness
  • Education and linguistic discrimination faced by the Ogoni People

 Click here to see the UNPO UPR Submission in full.