8 research outputs found
Smokes and mirrors at the United Nationsâ universal periodic review process
Purpose: In 2006, the United Nationsâ Human Rights Council was tasked to establish a new human rights monitoring mechanism: the Universal Periodic Review Process. The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of discussions held in the process, over the two cycles of review in relation to womenâs rights to access health care services. Design and Methodology: This investigation is a documentary analysis of the reports of 193 United Nationsâ state reports, over two cycles of review. Findings: The primary findings of this investigation reveal that despite an apparent consensus on the issue, a deeper analysis of the discussions suggest the dialogue between states is superficial in nature, with limited commitments made by states under review in furthering the protection of womenâs right to access health care services in the domestic context. Practical Implications: Considering the optimism surrounding the UPR process, the findings reveal that the nature of discussions held on womenâs rights to health care services is at best a missed opportunity to make a significant impact to initiate, and inform, changes to practices on the issue in the domestic context; and at worst, raises doubts as to whether the core aim of the process, to improve the protection and promotion of all human rights on the ground, is being fulfilled. Originality/Value: Deviating from the solely technocratic analysis of the review process in the existing literature, this investigation has considered the UPR process as a phenomenon of exploration in itself, and will provide a unique insight as to how this innovative monitoring mechanism operates in practice, with a particular focus on womenâs right to access health care services
Addressing Human Rights Abuses against People Who Use Drugs: A Critical Role for Human Rights Treaty Bodies and Special Procedures
âFood is a Right ⊠Nobody Should Be Starving on Our Streetsâ: Perceptions of Food Bank Usage in a Mid-Sized City in Ontario, Canada
The Motivating Role of Perceived Right Violation and Efficacy Beliefs in Identification with the Italian Water Movement
Because individualsâ fundamental right to water is often taken for granted, little is known about why individuals
participate in water activism. We examine how individuals identify with and intend to participate in the Italian
Water Movement to defend the âpublic managementâ of water supply. Building on the collective-action
literature, we test an explanatory model in which the perceived violation of the right to water and group and
participative-efficacy beliefs increase movement identification, which predicts subsequent activism. Study 1
(N = 153 activists) largely confirmed our hypotheses: right violation and participative efficacy uniquely influenced
movement identification, which in turn predicted activism. Study 2 corroborated these findings by
employing a broader sample of 132 Italian citizens, with right violation, participative and group-efficacy beliefs
predicting movement identification, which in turn predicted activism. We discuss the theoretical and practical
implications of these findings