Inclusive Peer Review Process Sparks Cooperation Despite Poor Human Rights Records

Insights from the Field

Universal Periodic Review

Human Rights Council

deliberative capacity

inclusive processes

International Relations

BJPS

1 datasets

Dataverse

Deliberative Capacity Building Through International Organizations: The Case of the Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights was authored by Karolina Milewicz and Robert E. Goodin. It was published by Cambridge in BJPS in 2018.

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR), conducted by the UN's Human Rights Council, demonstrates how international deliberative processes can foster cooperative responses from nations with questionable human rights records.

This analysis of UPR-related reports and recommendations explores why these countries participate despite their poor track records on human rights issues. The key findings show that UPR mechanisms effectively evoke co-operation through several notable features:

Highly Inclusive Structure: Every UN member state participates in the process
Deliberative Format: Emphasis is placed on discussion rather than unilateral decisions
Repeated Engagement: Countries receive feedback at multiple points, building familiarity and trust over time
Peer-to-Peer Interaction: Direct dialogue between states creates accountability mechanisms

These characteristics suggest that international organizations can significantly enhance deliberative capacity globally by implementing peer review models.