The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique Human Rights analysis that is conducted by all UN Member States. It provides an in-depth review of member states’ Human Rights records and their compliance to international regulations. Established in 2006, its aim is to improve the Human Rights situation worldwide and address all violations whenever and wherever they occur. The UPR process is conducted every four years, with the next review scheduled for 2021.

The UPR mechanism is subdivided into three-stages: the review of the human rights situation of the State under Review; implementation of the recommendations received and the voluntary pledges made; and reporting at the next review on the implementation of those recommendations and pledges regarding the human rights situation in the country. Within this process, NGOs play an important role by conducting national consultations and preparing detailed reports that compile information on the country’s human rights status during the four-and-a-half-year period since the last review was carried out. It is at this stage where follow up is done to determine whether state parties implemented all recommendations that were accepted in 2016.

According to the United Nations OHCHR schedule, Tanzania will be reviewed in October 2021. Meaning, NGOs and the Government are required to develop reports that will be submitted for the actual review in Geneva in 2021. NGOs are to submit their report before March 2021.

As the 2021 actual review draws close, NGOs, government, and other human rights stakeholders in Tanzania are currently preparing for the third review of our country; overseen by 3 parties, Tanzania Human Rights Coalition, Legal Human Rights Center and Save the Children. And, as the first step, this tripartite collaboration conducted a 2-day refresher course in which UNA Tanzania participated in. The objective of this training was to refresh minds and impart knowledge to respective NGOs to ensure full participation in the data collection, report writing and submission processes and participation in the actual review in Geneva.

In advocating for Youth access to the Empowerment funds for groups of Women, Youth and Persons With Disabilities (4-4-2), we had an educative radio session with TBC FM – a local radio station that reaches youth in all 26 regions of Tanzania. During this session, we talked about the promises made to youth in the Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP II), while sharing strategic opportunities with youth in economic development especially on the 10% loans by the Local Government Councils. The response from youth was very positive, having over 100 respondents enquiring more about the prerequisites and their eligibility in attaining this loan.

For 3 years now, UNA Tanzania has been a liaison between young people and the government through providing information and awareness on the Empowerment Funds as an economic right for young people to have from the government and improve their economic situations. To date, we have reached over 3000+ young people that have benefited from the funds, 21 clusters in 8 regions in Tanzania.

UNA Tanzania aims to amplify young people’s voices and share the challenges with the policy makers not only for the funds but to make sure young people are part and are engaged in making sure they are not left behind in decision making and the Sustainable Development as a whole.

On 17^th June 2020, the outgoing President of the United Nations General Assembly, His Excellency Tijjani Muhammed-Bande, announced the election results of the President of the General Assembly, non-Permanent members of the Security Council and members of the of the Economic and Social Council.

The elections were held simultaneously in the United Nations Headquarters, New York, General Assembly hall – entitled “Procedure for holding elections by secret ballot without a plenary meeting during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic”.

UN75 President

UN75 President – His Excellency Volkan Bozkir

Turkish Diplomat, Hon. Volkan Bozkir, was elected as the President of the 75^th session of the United Nations General Assembly on June 17^th, 2020. He was the sole candidate for the post, nominated by the government of the Republic of Turkey – receiving 178 ballots. Hon. Bozkir is expected to take office on 15^th September 2020 for a period of one year.

“I am thankful to all UN member states, for electing me with an overwhelming majority, as the President of the 75th UN General Assembly,” Bozkır said on Twitter. “As we mark the 75th anniversary of the UN, I will guide the efforts to contribute to international peace, in the challenging times we live in.”

Source: Daily Sabah https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/diplomacy/diplomat-volkan-bozkir-becomes-1st-turkish-citizen-to-be-elected-unga-president

Iconic horse shoe table of the United Nations Security Council.

Kenya wins a non-permanent seat in the Security Council

On 18^th of June 2020, the Republic of Kenya won a non-permanent seat in the Security Council. This happened during the second round of voting in the General Assembly where the country received 67 more votes than its competitor, Djibouti. Kenya will begin the 2-year tenure in January 2021, joining fellow elected members India, Ireland, Mexico, and Norway.

Endorsing the country as its flag bearer was the African Union – which Kenya thanked for this opportunity. The Republic of Kenya will now be able to contribute to the Security Council’s primary responsibility under the UN Charter – maintaining peace and security worldwide.

Tanzania supported Kenya in securing a seat at the security council through campaigning and voting for the fellow East African country, in both rounds. Furthermore, Kenya acknowledges Tanzania’s support throughout the process and especially during the second round of voting.

United Nations Economic and Social Council Chamber

Zimbabwe elected to key United Nations body

On the 17^th of June, ZIMBABWE was elected to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) cluster for a 3-year term that will begin on 1 January 2021.

The outgoing president of the UN General Assembly, His Excellency Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, announced the results after voting by secret ballot in the assembly on Wednesday.

Obtaining a position in the ECOSOC Council means that Zimbabwe will be able to participate in the everyday management of specified UN agencies, bodies, and commissions that fall under ECOSOC’s oversight purview – which extends to over 70 per cent of the human and financial resources of the entire UN system.

The other African countries that were elected to join the ECOSOC Council are Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, and Nigeria.

For the last 4 years, we have been working with the Parliamentary Group for Sustainable Development pioneering their establishment in 2018. UNA Tanzania trained the Members of Parliament in this group on the SDGs in order to deepen their knowledge and provide analytical tools to help them conduct budget analyses on how the Global Goals are reflected in national budgets.

Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. Job Ndungai (MP)

The training involved a total number of thirty three (33) Members of Parliament in which fifteen (15) were women and fifteen (15) were men. It also included three (3) parliamentary staff members of which all were women.

It is our focus to include and interact at a larger scale with decision makers since they influence and ratify the laws and budget to be passed for the good of the people, therefore the time to time training help in capacity building, and be present to “LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND’’ in the implementation of Agenda 2030.

In light of our advocacy work on the following up on the effectiveness of the Women, Youth and People with Disabilities Empowerment Funds, last month His Excellency, Dr. John Pombe Magufuli, the President of the United Republic of Tanzania as he was dissolving the parliament, highlighted that it was one of the successes during the previous three years, as 93.2 billion had been given out to women, youth and PWD’s : 4-4-2 respectively. This carries an important meaning to our work with the government through the President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government Authorities (PORALG) different stock take dialogues and capacity building on the Sustainable Development Goals especially on Economic Growth and Decent Jobs #goal8 as a specificity.