Technical guidelines for the submission of stakeholders' information to OHCHR (as of 1 July 2008)
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Where to submit?
Written information for the UPR review should be sent to the following address: uprsubmissions@ohchr.org. Please avoid sending information to other OHCHR electronic addresses. Please note (a) the OHCHR secretariat will confirm electronically receipt of your message and submission; and (b) while stakeholders are discouraged to fax or mail a hardcopy of their submission to the OHCHR secretariat, they may do so in the case of repeated technical difficulties with electronic mail to : +41 22 917 90 11.
Format of the written submission :
Each electronic submission and relevant e-mail message should refer to one country only. In the e-mail message accompanying the submitted documents kindly include:
- In the title of the e-mail message: the name of the (main) stakeholder/NGO submitting the contribution, the kind of contribution (individual and/or joint), the name of the reviewed country and indicate the month and year of relevant UPR session, e.g., “Women’s coalition – joint UPR submission – Brazil – April 2008” ;
- In the text of the e-mail message accompanying the submission, stakeholders should indicate the details of the relevant contact person;
- A paragraph describing the main activities of the submitting organization/coalition, as well as date of establishment, especially for those organizations which interrelate for the first time with the UN, would be also welcomed;
Should the submission be prepared jointly, the names of all submitting stakeholders should appear at the beginning of the submission text (not in the relevant e-mail message).
Stakeholders’ submissions should not be longer than five pages, to which a more detailed and factual report maybe attached; submissions by large coalitions of stakeholders can be up to ten pages;
Written submissions should be saved as a Word document only, i.e. not as PDF file, in Times New Roman, font 12;
Written contributions should be submitted in UN official languages only, preferably in English, French or Spanish;
Written submissions should be final; in principle, it will not be possible to accommodate revisions;
Paragraphs and pages of each submission should be numbered;
Stakeholders are encouraged to include in their written submissions an introductory executive summary, capturing the main points contained therein; as a way of introduction, key words may also be indicated (e.g., domestic violence);
Annexes to the submissions should NOT include pictures, maps, organizations’ annual reports or reports from other organizations;
Stakeholders may refer to individuals in their written submission, on the understanding that the OHCHR’s summary will only refer to emblematic cases;
The extensive use of footnotes is discouraged.
Please note also:
- Submissions in excess of the five/ten page maximum will not be considered;
- Submissions received in a language other than the six official UN languages will not be considered;
- Submissions received after specified deadlines will not be considered; and
- Submissions containing language manifestly abusive (i.e. incitement to violence, inherently racist language, etc.) will not be considered.