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Event Flash
UPR Human Rights Panel
Dear Friends,
You are invited to attend a consultation taking place in San Francisco that will assist the United Nations Human Rights Council to determine the extent to which the United States complies with legally-binding obligations under Human Rights treaties that it has signed and ratified as well as under the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The San Francisco consultation will be held on Friday, March 26, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Mclaren Conference Center at the University of San Francisco. A panel on disability and Human Rights will take place from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m., including time for questions and comments. This panel being organized by DREDF will focus on the experiences of the disability community in the San Francisco/Northern California area concerning healthcare, mental health issues, and community living/deinstitutionalization. An additional open comment period will take place from 3:30 p.m. &ndash 4:30 p.m.
If you plan to attend, you must register for this free event at: http://uprconsultationsf.eventbrite.com/
The process of this examination is called "Universal Periodic Review" or "UPR," in which the human rights status of every UN member state is reviewed every four years. During November 2010 the United States will undertake its first review since the process was created.
As part of the UPR process, the Department of State (DOS) is required to conduct consultations with stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations, civil society groups and those facing rights violations in order to provide input regarding human rights in the United States. DOS selected several cities in the US where consultations are being conducted, including San Francisco. Representatives of the U.S. Department of State and other federal agencies will be in attendance to collect information that will inform their report for the UPR.
(Another half-day consultation is scheduled in Berkeley on the morning of Thursday, March 25, 2010, and will focus on health, education, and state accountability, followed by an open comment period.)
The meetings will be recorded, and a written report will be prepared and posted on the U.S. Department of State website. This summary may be used as part of the U.S. government’s submission to the Human Rights Council. Organizations are also welcome to submit a 5-page report directly to the UN before April 19, 2010.
The Mclaren Center at the University of San Francisco is wheelchair accessible. If you require a disability accommodation such as a Sign Language interpreter or print materials in alternative formats, or have any questions about accommodations, please contact Katelyn Keil. Her telephone number is 510-644-2555 (v/TDD) and her email is kkeil@dredf.org. Please contact Katie by March 12, 2010, if you require an accommodation.
Please attend this important and historic consultation.
If you have any questions, please contact Mary Lou Breslin, mlbreslin@dredf.org.
© 2010
The Universal Periodic
Review Process
Combined Federal Campaign #11944
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CONTACT DREDF:
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2212 Sixth Street
Berkeley, CA 94710
510-644-2555