Mr. Chairman,

Universal Periodic Review provides an opportunity for Council members and others including the NGOs to point out deficiencies in the human rights protection afforded by member states of the United Nations.

Non-governmental organisations have been criticised by some states for 'naming and shaming' as a policy directed against states. Some countries believe that NGOs have incomplete or false information when they criticise states, or that NGOs represent vested interests and are manipulated by these interests when they criticise states.

Many of the members of the Human Rights Council arre looking for 'dialogue and cooperation' with NGOs rather than 'naming and shaming'.

Thus, NGOs are now asked to enter into dialogue with states and cooperate with those states they accuse, in order to improve human rights protection in those countries. This is perhaps a new approach which will benefit everyone - states and civil society as well.

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) provides one special place for this dialogue and cooperation. When the Working Group decides upon the UPR proceedure, the NGOs hope that their voice will be heard in the dialogue process.For example, in the next few years the major countries of South Asia will be reviewed in the UPR. Our organisation has received much information from civil society on the four South Asian countries which are members of thge Council. The review of human rights protection or lack of protection in these countries will be important material for the NGOs to provide as input to the UPR process.

Certainly the concerned NGOs will provide dossiers on the issues of human rights in these countries when the UPR Committees and experts evaluate the human rights records of these countries. It will be coordinated with information already available at the Office of the Huigh Commissioner for Human Rights. The NGOs should begin to prepare these dossiers now so as to be ready when the UPR proceedures commence.