Transcript Slide 1

Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner
for Human Rights (OHCHR)
OHCHR in the UN
• Part of the UN Secretariat, staffed by international civil servants
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(established in 1993)
Headed by the High Commissioner, since September 2008: Navanethem
Pillay, preceded by Louise Arbour (2004-2008), Sergio Vieira de Mello
(2002-2003), Mary Robinson (1997-2002) and José Ayala Lasso (19941997)
• Leads global human rights efforts
• Works with governments and civil society
• Speaks out objectively in the face of human rights violations
• Staff: approx. 1000 (half in Geneva and half in the field)
• Regular budget 2008-2009 in US dollar: 115 million
• Voluntary contributions in 2008 in US dollar: 120 million
What We Do
- Promote and protect human rights
- Assist governments and help empower people
- Inject a human rights perspective into UN programmes
How We Do It
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Provide support to standard setting mechanisms
Monitor implementation of human rights obligations
Conduct research on thematic issues
Mainstream human rights within UN system
Human Rights Council
• Intergovernmental body,
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serviced by OHCHR
Addresses human rights
violations
Reviews States’ human rights
record
Works to prevent human
rights abuses
Responds to emergencies
International forum for human
rights dialogue
Recommends developments in
human rights law
Special Rapporteurs
• Independent Experts, appointed by the Human
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Rights Council and supported by OHCHR
Monitor human rights situation in individual
countries or specific human rights issues
worldwide
Research issues of concern
Conduct country visits on invitation
Receive and consider complaints
Appeal to governments
Respond to emergencies
Report to the Human Rights Council
Treaty Bodies
• Committees of
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Independent Experts
Monitor State parties’
compliance with their
treaty obligations
Examine reports from
State parties
Adopt Recommendations
Issue General Comments
Consider individual
complaints
Currently there are 9 such treaty bodies:
Human Rights Committee (CCPR)
Committee on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights (CESCR)
Committee on the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination (CERD)
Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
Committee Against Torture (CAT
Committee on the Rights of the Child
(CRC)
Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW)
Sub-Committee on the Prevention of
Torture (SPT / OPCAT)
Committee on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (CRPD)
Implementation
Through country engagement,
field presences, technical cooperation,
advisory services, education