As the Universal Periodic Review enters another round in
November 2026, a new public data platform is helping
governments, diplomats and civil society connect human
rights recommendations with health outcomes, track state
commitments and identify gaps in implementation. Its
findings also expose how some of the world’s most vulnerable
populations remain overlooked.
The Universal Periodic
Review (UPR) is a unique process by the United Nations Human
Rights Council where the human rights records of all 193
countries (UN member states) are reviewed every 4.5 years.
It provides an opportunity for governments to scrutinise one
another’s performance, make recommendations and encourage
improvements in human rights protection.
Human rights
commitments are only as meaningful as their implementation.
Yet, across countries and regions, a persistent challenge
confronts governments, policymakers and advocates: how can
they track whether promises made at the international level
are translating into measurable improvements in people’s
lives?
One initiative seeking to bridge this
accountability gap is the Health and Rights Observatory,
developed by the Global Center for Health Diplomacy and
Inclusion (CeHDI). The free, public and interactive platform
connects UPR recommendations with health indicators and
national legal frameworks, offering users a way to examine
human rights commitments alongside real-world health
outcomes.
Presenting the Health & Rights
Observatory, Rachel Rieille, Data Manager at CeHDI,
demonstrated how accessible data can transform the way
governments, diplomats, civil society organisations and
advocates engage with the UPR process. Rachel was speaking
in SHE & Rights session held recently.
Turning
UPR recommendations into accessible evidence
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While
international human rights mechanisms generate thousands of
recommendations, the real challenge lies in tracking what
happens after governments make their commitments. But
navigating the enormous volume of recommendations,
identifying recurring concerns and assessing government
responses can be challenging.
The Health and Rights
Observatory seeks to make this process more accessible by
bringing together UPR recommendations and health-related
data in one platform. Rieille explained that the Observatory
organises UPR recommendations according to health themes
derived from the World Health Organization (WHO)’s thematic
framework. These include issues such as mental health,
gender-based violence and harmful practices, maternal health
and the health of older persons.
The platform is
designed to serve diplomats, policymakers, civil society
organisations and advocates who need evidence to prepare for
reviews, monitor state commitments and identify
gaps.
Its country-level dashboard allows users to
select a country and access recommendations issued to that
country. They can examine the number of health-related
recommendations, explore the complete set of recommendations
and download selected datasets for further
analysis.
Users can also filter recommendations by
specific health themes and examine how attention to
particular issues has evolved across successive UPR
cycles.
An especially useful feature is the ability to
distinguish between recommendations that governments have
supported and those they have merely noted. Through
visualisations, users can track whether governments are
becoming more receptive to particular human rights concerns
over time.
The Observatory is not restricted to
individual countries. Its regional and global dashboards
allow users to examine recommendations across geographical
groupings, compare trends and download data for independent
research and advocacy.
Connecting human rights
commitments with health outcomes
Beyond tracking
recommendations, the Observatory addresses another important
question: are human rights commitments reflected in
improvements in people’s health?
To explore this,
CeHDI has incorporated health indicators covering universal
health coverage, maternal health, cervical cancer and family
planning, among other areas.
The platform also
displays relevant national legal frameworks, including
socioeconomic provisions and constitutional recognition of
the right to health. This helps users understand not only
what governments have been recommended to do but also the
legal commitments they have undertaken.
Rieille
demonstrated this approach in SHE & Rights session
through the Observatory’s maternal health section. Users can
explore a country-level map showing maternal mortality
estimates for 2023, compare trends over time and examine
neighbouring countries. The dashboard also provides a
breakdown of causes of maternal deaths, alongside global
averages.
Such information can help advocates examine
whether improvements in health outcomes are occurring
alongside human rights commitments and where further action
may be necessary.
By bringing together
recommendations, health indicators and legal frameworks, the
Health & Rights Observatory offers a more comprehensive
picture of the relationship between human rights obligations
and public health performance.
Its usefulness also
extends beyond the immediate UPR review process. Civil
society organisations can use the data to prepare
submissions, identify neglected issues and question
governments about implementation.
Importantly, the
platform’s code is open source and its datasets are publicly
accessible, allowing independent scrutiny and further
analysis.
The data exposes a glaring gap in older
persons’ rights
One of the most striking findings
from the Health & Rights Observatory concerns older
persons – a population group that remains significantly
underrepresented in international human rights
recommendations.
CeHDI’s Rachel Rieille reported that
approximately 29,000 health-related recommendations have
been issued through the UPR globally. Of these, only 144
address the health of older persons. Among the population
groups examined through the Observatory, older persons have
received the fewest health-related recommendations. The
nature of some recommendations also raises questions about
whether older persons are being recognised as
rights-holders.
Rieille cited a recommendation made by
Venezuela to Chad during the third UPR cycle, calling for
the strengthening of national health policy, particularly
for women, children and older persons. While older people
were mentioned, they appeared as one group in a broader list
rather than being the specific focus of a recommendation
addressing their health needs.
There are, however,
encouraging signs. Governments support approximately 92% of
recommendations concerning older persons’ health, compared
with 82% of health-related recommendations
overall.
Attention has also increased across
successive cycles. The first cycle recorded seven
recommendations concerning older persons out of 2,956. In
the ongoing fourth cycle, the number has risen to 76 out of
approximately 10,000 recommendations. For Rieille, these
trends suggest that states are beginning to recognise the
issue, although much more attention is needed.
“When
older persons are absent from data and reporting, they are
absent from policy priorities. The scale of exclusion of
older persons is also evident in the Universal Periodic
Review (UPR). Since its establishment in 2008, only 681 of
more than 124,539 UPR recommendations have addressed older
persons, representing around 0.5%. This is why we urge the
States to fully utilise the Health and Rights Observatory,”
said a statement made by Shobha Shukla, a person with lived
experience, and who spoke at the Inter-Governmental Working
Group meeting to draft a legally binding treaty for human
rights of older persons. “Human rights of older persons,
like those of people in all their diversities, are
non-negotiable and must never be treated as an
afterthought.”
UPR: A mechanism for cooperation, not
just scrutiny
Khaled Hassine emphasises that the UPR
should not be understood merely as a mechanism for reviewing
states’ human rights records. UPR is also an important entry
point for cooperation, engagement and actionable
recommendations that governments can follow up. Because the
process involves states reviewing one another, its
recommendations can have considerable influence, encouraging
governments to engage with human rights concerns raised by
their peers.
Khaled Hassine serves as the Secretary,
Intergovernmental Working Group on the Human Rights of Older
Persons, Equality and Non-Discrimination Branch, Office of
the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights.
For Hassine, the increasing visibility of
older persons in UPR recommendations reflects greater
awareness and a more coherent recognition of
intersectionality.
He also points to the 2016 report
of the UN Independent Expert, which provided the first
comprehensive global analysis of the human rights situation
of older persons across all regions. The report recommended
a global framework of cooperation and a legally binding
international instrument dedicated to older persons’
rights.
The UPR, he argues, can contribute to building
momentum towards such a framework by encouraging more
substantive engagement and follow-up.
Indonesia’s
experience: Taking health commitments to
communities
The importance of translating human
rights commitments into practical policies is reflected in
Indonesia, where more than 35 million people are now aged
over 60, representing nearly 12% of the population. Dr Imran
Pambudi, Director of Vulnerable Groups Health Services at
Indonesia’s Ministry of Health, describes ageing as a
defining public health and social challenge.
Indonesia
has adopted a life-course approach to healthy ageing through
its Integrated Primary Care programme (ILP), now being
implemented across more than 9,200 government-run Puskesmas
community health centres. The programme brings health
promotion, prevention, early detection, treatment and
rehabilitation closer to communities.
Complementing
this is the free health check programme, which has reached
more than 12 million older persons. Screenings assess
cognition, mobility, nutrition, vision, hearing and
psychological wellbeing, helping identify risks early and
preserve independence. Dr Pambudi stresses that healthy
ageing is not simply about preventing disease or extending
life expectancy. Older persons must have opportunities to
remain independent, active and engaged in society.
He
calls for stronger primary healthcare, sustainable long-term
care financing, caregiver support, accessibility for persons
with disabilities and greater attention to the voices of
older persons themselves.
Human Rights Day: The test
is implementation
As the November UPR cycle brings
renewed attention to international human rights commitments,
the Health and Rights Observatory developed by CeHDI offers
a practical resource for examining what governments have
promised, how they have responded and where gaps
remain.
With International Human Rights Day on
December 10 approaching, the challenge is to move beyond
declarations and recommendations towards measurable
improvements in people’s lives.
Human rights
commitments must be more than promises on paper. They must
translate into dignity, equality, better health and justice
for everyone.
Shobha Shukla – CNS (Citizen News
Service)
(Shobha Shukla is a feminist, health and
development justice advocate, and an award-winning founding
Managing Editor and Executive Director of CNS (Citizen News
Service). She serves as Chairperson of Global AMR Media
Alliance (GAMA), Host and Coordinator of SHE & Rights
(Sexual Health with Equity & Rights), President of Asia
Pacific Media Alliance for Health, Gender and Development
Justice (APCAT Media), and founder leader of DJOP
(Development Justice for Older Persons) initiative. She is
the author of 2026 book “Justice Unbound: Feminist Voices on
Gender Equality, Health Rights, and Inclusive Futures” and
was also the Lead Discussant for SDG-3 at United Nations
inter-governmental High Level Political Forum 2025. GAMA ,
led by her, received the AMR One Health Emerging Leaders and
Outstanding Talents Award at UN High Level Ministerial
Conference on AMR
2024.
