UPR Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh & the World--Bringing Human Rights Home

In 2019-2020, the United States is undergoing a comprehensive human rights assessment through the United Nation’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process. Pittsburgh community leaders will be working with other Human Rights Cities to provide local documentation and recommendations for this review of the US human rights record (See: UPR Cities Project). A UPR Pittsburgh Planning Committee made up of community organizers and representatives from City agencies working to advance human rights is producing a report for the UN's Universal Periodic Review and using this to shape ongoing conversations about human rights in our region.

We're working to compile reports on the state of human rights in our region while also building networks to help promote better human rights practices. Following the submission of our report to the UN, we'll continue to build on that and engage residents in consultations about local human rights conditions as we develop strategies for realizing human rights in our communities. In mid-Februrary 2020 we'll release a local human rights report, in preparation for the United Nations review of the U.S. national human rights record. We'll be working with cities around the country to help draw attention to this global conversation about human rights and the responsibility of governments at all levels to do much more to carry out their obligations under international human rights law.

Our reports will be used to promote public awareness and policy responses to our regional human rights conditions and to build political will—that is, a broad-based political constituency that is vocal and active in support and defense of human rights for all residents. A key goal of the UPR Cities initiative is movement-building to build the political will, skills, and collective momentum to carry out these recommendations and re-orient our community so that human rights are the top priority—not a by-product of economic growth and conventional “development.” We want UPR City activities we do support the ongoing work by community and grassroots organizations and to broaden our networks of mutual support and cooperation for human rights.

News and Activities

• Pittsburgh files human rights report to the UN & Passes City Zero Evictions Day Proclamation -Pittsburgh activist groups and city leaders are submitting a report on local human rights conditions to the United Nations, centering the problem of racial inequities and its impacts on residents' right to adequate housing. Without secure and safe housing, no other rights can be realized.
  • See link to full recording of our press conference announcing UPR report and Zero Evictions Proclamation
  • Press Release: Pittsburgh Joins Global “Zero Evictions Days” & Files Human Rights Report with United Nations
• Immigration rights are human rights, speakers at Downtown forum say Pittsburgh Post-Gazette August 6, 2019. Coverage of our UPR Cities Roundtable on the Rights of Immigrants and Refugees in the Pittsburgh Region.

Resources on the Cross-City and Global Initiative for Human Rights Cities

• Bringing Human Rights Home: New Strategies for Local Organizing Open Global Rights, By Jackie Smith & Joshua Cooper-U.S. Human Rights Cities Alliance, August 1, 2018.

• For more details see the UPR Cities Initiative.

Return to Pittsburgh Human Rights City Alliance Page