Bologna II: Local and Regional Governments in the UPR – Digital Tools, Data and Multilevel Governance

Local and Regional Governments (LRGs) play a central role in translating international human rights commitments and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into concrete action. As the level of governance closest to communities, they implement policies in areas such as housing, health, education, social protection and environmental protection, while generating valuable localized data on how rights are realized in practice. Yet their role within United Nations human rights mechanisms, particularly the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), remains limited. Building on the growing recognition reflected in Human Rights Council resolution 57/12 (2024) on Local Government and Human Rights and resolution 60/27 (2025) on National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting and Follow-up (NMIRFs), this roundtable explores how LRGs can contribute more systematically to monitoring, reporting and follow-up processes.

Organised by the Geneva Human Rights Hub (GHRH) and the Department of Legal Studies, University of Bologna, and supported by the Interministerial Committee on Human Rights, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), the Bologna II Expert Roundtable builds on discussions initiated in Bologna in 2024 on NMIRFs and data collection. The meeting will examine how localized data, digital tools and structured multi-level governance models can strengthen the integration of LRGs throughout the UPR cycle - from reporting and review to implementation and follow-up - bringing together policymakers, international organizations, local authorities and human rights experts to identify practical pathways for stronger multi-level human rights monitoring.