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The workshop was held in support of Malawi’s preparation for the fourth cycle of the (UPR), an inter-governmental process under which all UN member states’ human rights records are periodically reviewed.

Held from 15 to 16 May 2025, the working session was attended by government officials and civil society representatives from Malawi’s NMIRF, which serves as Malawi’s inter-ministerial coordinating body that facilitates the collection of data and drafting of national reports to the UN and regional human rights mechanisms.

The working session aimed to strengthen Malawi’s capacity to report on its human rights obligations and to validate the draft national report for the fourth cycle of the UPR.

Opening the validation meeting, HE Titus Mvola, Malawi’s Minister of Justice, noted the working session as a gathering that “represents a crucial milestone in [Malawi’s] commitment to promoting and protecting human rights.”

He also shared that the ����̽��’s assistance was instrumental in strengthening Malawi’s human rights infrastructure and in implementing various programmes.

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The Secretariat’s Human Rights Unit has been providing ongoing technical assistance to Malawi to strengthen its engagement with the UN human rights mechanisms and to fulfil its obligations under the nine core international human rights instruments the country has committed to.

During the workshop, participants enhanced their understanding of the UN human rights system and the process of preparing a state party report to UN human rights treaty bodies.

In an interactive session, they also reviewed the draft national report to the fourth UPR cycle and provided information on the progress made to implement recommendations from the previous cycle.

Participants’ impressions

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Inclusive consultations with national stakeholders are an established best practice in developing a balanced Universal Periodic Review national report. They help to ensure that the report reflects diverse perspectives of the country’s human rights situation and challenges it faces to fulfil its human rights obligations.

Deus Lupenga, Deputy Director of Youth at the Ministry of Youth and Sport, commented that the workshop was “quite insightful…to ensure that [youth] issues are really given prominence and that we are integrating youth issues within the report.”

Ellen Chadilanga, Senior Legal and Prosecutions Officer at the Malawi Anti-Corruption Bureau, said: “The workshop has been a great opportunity to learn more about the UPR.”

Ellen has been a member of the NMRIF since it was established and noted that during the working session, she “learned a lot to do with the processes of the Universal Periodic Review.”

She shared that the training will help her to make a positive contribution towards Malawi’s engagement with the UPR process in the future.

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