Projects

Short Description:

Overall goal

People enjoy their human rights, including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, as well as the right to development and the right to a healthy environment without discrimination and are empowered to be active partners in development in accordance with the 2030 Agenda and its promise to leave no one behind.

- Increased number of Human Rights Advisers (HRAs) supporting Resident Coordinators (RCs) and UN Country Teams (UNCTs) to put Human Rights at the Center of their country work.

- Strengthened support and partnership with governments and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) on engaging with human rights mechanisms and integrating human rights in development as well as for strengthened capacity and platforms for meaningful participation and advocacy by rights-holders.

Expected results

- Number of RCs/UNCTs that have the support of HRAs

- % of UNCTs that have in the past year completed a human rights analysis

- % of UNCTs with an HRA that have supported the government in mainstreaming human rights into national development policies and programmes

- National and local governments and NHRIs have stronger capacities to engage with human rights mechanisms and integrate human rights in development, and human rights defenders, civil society and communities have strengthened capacity and platforms for meaningful participation and advocacy.

Target group / Beneficiaries

It is foreseen that in 2023 OHCHR will have 43 HRAs, including in Mozambique; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, South Caucasus (including Armenia), which are ADC partner countries.

Their work benefits the UN Resident Coordinators and Country Teams as well as the National Human Rights Institutions in their respective countries.

The HRAs also engage with a number of UN agencies, national authorities (e.g. ministries, national institutions, etc.) and civil society organizations (CSOs), which all benefit from their technical advice and capacity building. On average, HRAs work with at least 20 such partners in each country, which means that a total of 860 partners will benefit from their work, including 120 in the 6 ADC partner countries identified above.

Activities

• Raise the capacity of and support the UNCT in applying a human rights-based approach to policy drafting, programming, and programme implementation as well as within UN led processes;

• Facilitate advocacy efforts of CSOs and NHRIs with state actors regarding the implementation of human rights mechanism recommendations;

• Contribute to the review and drafting of legislative and regulatory frameworks ensuring compliance with international standards;

• Systematic monitoring of civic space and public freedoms for the purpose of documentation, advocacy and other action, including the RC, OHCHR, relevant human rights mechanisms, and support to civil society;

• Work with UN entities engaged with businesses to promote the Guiding Principles, including through support to implementation of SDGs, the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy and relevant recommendations of human rights mechanisms.

Context

HRAs are deployed at the request of RCs and UNCTs under the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG). HRAs are essential catalysts of human rights mainstreaming. They support and assist the RCs,Heads of UN agencies and members of UNCTs to integrate human rights into UN programmes and activities at the country level and ensure coordinated UN responses to requests for technical cooperation and advisory services from State institutions. HRAs also provide human rights expertise in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which situates human rights at the core of the UN’s development efforts. They play a critical early warning and prevention role as part of the UNCTs and, when applicable, provide advice on integrating human rights into humanitarian responses and post-crisis recovery processes. Further, HRAs provide support to State actors and technical advice and capacity-building to NHRIs. They build networks with and provide practical support to civil society in the promotion and protection of human rights, including with regard to follow-up on engagement with the international human rights mechanisms.