The UPR focuses on the review of the implementation of human rights obligations of all member states of the United Nations. Beginning in 2008, the United Nations' Human Rights Council established this process to ensure that States respected their international human rights obligation. States are reviewed every 4 and a half years by the Human Rights Council. During the review, when the State under send a delegation to Geneva to present its national report, other States may ask questions and make recommendations to the State under review on how to improves its respect of human rights.

Civil society also has a role to play, albeit more limited – they may provide information in the preparation of a UN-led compilation of civil society, and can also lobby States to raise questions and make recommendations to the State under review.

At this 13th session, four Arab states will be reviewed: Algeria, Bahrain, Morocco and Tunisia. In this context, Alkarama contributed reports for all of these countries:

Our submission for Algeria

Our submission for Bahrain

Our submission for Morocco

Our submission for Tunisia

Alkarama hopes that States will seize this opportunity to undertake a real and practical review of the human rights situation in each of these countries and ensure that pressing human rights issues are properly addressed with suitable recommendations, as put forward in our reports.