A/HRC/40/78
with OHCHR, the support being provided by the United Nations country teams to States in
the region through technical cooperation and the ongoing efforts under the initiative of the
Secretary-General for the reform of the United Nations development system. The Board
always takes the opportunity of its sessions in countries where OHCHR has a presence to
hold discussions with the relevant agencies and programmes to gather information on the
synergies and cooperation on the ground supporting national efforts in any critical area with
relevance for the promotion and protection of all economic, civil, cultural, political and
social rights.
46.
The Board was particularly interested in the ongoing work and plans in the context
of support for the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development
Goals, in particular regarding the path for graduation in many countries from middleincome to high-income status. The presence of human rights advisers in the United Nations
settings was highlighted by all teams as a critical component for their ability to support
States adequately with their human rights commitments, pledges and obligations, in
particular where OHCHR does not have a fully-fledged presence.
47.
The Board found very innovative the way in which the Regional Office had further
enhanced engagement with countries in the region through complementary use of the
Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation, the Voluntary Fund for Financial and Technical
Assistance in the Implementation of the Universal Periodic Review and the treaty body
capacity-building programme. That provided the opportunity to strengthen the human rights
capacities of United Nations country teams to better support countries in the region in their
engagement with the human rights mechanisms, including leveraging synergies with the
human rights-based implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In
view of the results and good practices, the sustainability of this effort has now been
supported by the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, which is assisting with
the maintenance of the national human rights advisers in the country teams.
48.
The Board was particularly impressed by the strategies designed by the Regional
Office to support initiatives in countries across such a vast and diverse region. The
experiences and practices shared by all partners highlighted how closely OHCHR works
with them. The OHCHR presence in Santiago de Chile is known across the region and that
is clearly the result of intense and tireless efforts to follow closely and respond in a timely
and efficient manner to requests for technical cooperation, but also to anticipate challenges
and identify through early warning and preventive work the actions needed. That has been
done in a situation of scarce financial and human resources.
III. Technical cooperation
A.
Need for technical cooperation in the field of human rights to be
mainstreamed throughout the work of all United Nations programmes
and operations in each country and region
49.
Since 2012, the Board has brought to the attention of the Human Rights Council a
number of components for effective technical cooperation that have become evident in its
experience of overseeing the Voluntary Fund. The Board has already commented in
previous reports on the importance of six out of seven components.
50.
The seventh component highlighted by the Board relates to the critical importance of
human rights integration across the work of all United Nations programmes on the ground
as an effective means of better supporting national efforts for the promotion and protection
of human rights. This component is regarded by the Board as particularly critical at this
stage, in view of the current changes under way as a result of the reform of the United
Nations development system aimed at supporting States in their efforts to achieve the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is
imperative if “human rights for all” is to be made a reality. An empowered Resident
Coordinator and reinvigorated United Nations country team should make every effort to
enhance policy coherence in the delivery of technical cooperation to ensure the enjoyment
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