The Universal Periodic Review and the Death Penalty: A Case Study of Pakistan

Acclaimed as an innovative mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was introduced by General Assembly Resolution 60/251 in 2006. It appraises the human rights record of each UN Member State, every four and a half years, in an attempt to further the global promotion and protection of human rights. The third cycle of the UPR has been underway since April 2017 and will conclude in November 2021. Using Pakistan’s latest review, held in 2017, as a case study, this article assesses the mechanism’s engagement with the question of the death penalty. In doing so, it evaluates each stage of the process and considers the extent to which this violation of the right to life is challenged and issues recommendations to strengthen the integrity of the UPR