Universal Periodic Review in Southeast Asia: An Evidence-Based Regional Assessment

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a universal mechanism under the Human Rights Council that reviews the human rights situation in all 193 UN Member States once every four and a half years. All Southeast Asian states have undergone two review cycles of their respective human rights situations under the UPR process. But what is the impact of the UPR on human rights in the region? And does the focus on constructive dialogue and the state-centric nature of the process help improve the situation?

The region is politically diverse with member states varying in their national human rights protection systems, ratification of UN human rights instruments and level of civil society engagement. In relation to the UPR process, a key issue is how it contributes to the advancement of human rights in the region and what role it plays in relation to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and national human rights institutions (NHRIs).This conference seeks to critically examine the UPR process through evidence-based research to evaluate its impact on Southeast Asian states and societies.

Themes

Key themes that will be treated are:

1. Effectiveness of the UPR in addressing human rights protection gaps within Southeast Asia
2. States adherence to UPR recommendations for improving the protection capacities of AICHR
3. States adherence to UPR recommendations for improving the protection capacities of NHRIs.
4. Development of an intra-regional linkage to formally engage with the UPR process
5. Challenges faced by civil society in engaging with the UPR process
6. Other related themes

Objectives

This conference aims to achieve the following objectives:

1. Convene researchers working on human rights in Southeast Asia
2. Exchange views among the authors researching the UPR process in Southeast Asia
3. Publish the outcomes in a special issue journal and/or an edited book
4. Contribute to the academic literature on the UPR and human rights in Southeast Asia

Conference Structure
The conference will consist of thematic panels, country-specific discussions and a final plenary session which will be open to civil society groups, international organisations, government officials and the academic community to facilitate knowledge sharing and networking opportunities.

Conference Fee
This is a self-funded conference hence a fee of USD$200 will be charged to all participants, this will go towards covering the cost of the venue, equipment and logistics, coffee breaks on all days, certificates for participants, and conference communications.
There will be an early bird discount rate of USD$150 for registration and full payment made before 15 July 2016.
We are also offering a special student rate of USD$75.

Submission Guidelines
Researchers wishing to present papers are invited to submit an abstract of 300 words along with a short biographical paragraph, in English to contact@asiacentre.co.th
Payment of conference fees:31 July 2016 (For Early Bird Discount)
1 August 2016 onwards (Regular Rate)
Full paper submission: 1 September 2016

Programme Outline
Day 1 (15 September 2016): 9 am to 5 pm (Paper Presentations)
Day 2 (16 September 2016): 9 am to 5 pm (Paper Presentations)
Day 3 (17 September 2016): 9 am to 12 noon (Open Plenary)
Conveners: Professors James Gomez & Robin Ramcharan

Source: http://asiacentre.co.th/event/universal-periodic-review-in-southeast-asia/

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