A/HRC/19/21
strategies, and on gender-responsive reforms. These tools will ensure that activities in this
are grounded in international human rights law and they contribute to the Office’s work on
security sector actors.
84.
My Office continued to devote much effort to developing methodologies to
document and report on human rights violations, including with regard to sexual violence,
and strengthening these skills of both OHCHR staff and national human rights actors. The
OHCHR Manual on Human Rights Monitoring is being revised, and eight new chapters,
including on analysis, information-gathering and protection of witnesses, victims and
sources, are being published. Numerous courses on human rights monitoring, fact-finding
and investigations were conducted for United Nations staff members and external partners,
including one in the Gambia for staff of the African Commission on Human and Peoples
Rights.
85.
The support provided by my Office to international commissions of inquiry and factfinding missions included analysing their experience and managing lessons learned
processes, and updating methodologies and procedures. Rigorous methodologies for such
mechanisms provide a solid basis of information and analysis to inform action by the
international community, and support national justice, truth, peace and reconciliation
processes.
86.
In November, in the context of a Security Council workshop on accountability,
OHCHR addressed United Nations practices in the establishment of commissions of inquiry
and fact-finding mechanisms, underlining challenges, lessons learned as well as
opportunities for greater action by the Council. OHCHR is currently reviewing its
experience in this area with a view to contributing to the ongoing review of practices on
commissions of inquiry.
87.
OHCHR also supported the establishment and strengthening of national human
rights institutions in more than 40 countries. In March, in Trinidad and Tobago, OHCHR
and the Commonwealth Secretariat conducted a workshop aimed at developing institutions
in Caribbean States. In October, in Tajikistan, OHCHR, together with UNDP and the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe organized a regional workshop for
human rights institutions with a focus on the Paris Principles.
F.
Protecting human rights in situations of violence and insecurity
1.
Human rights, peace and security
88.
I welcome the determination of the Human Rights Council to take action in the face
of violent crises, as demonstrated by the special sessions held in 2011, the stronger
resolutions adopted and the establishment of commissions of inquiry. The Security Council
also paid greater attention to human rights issues in its thematic and country resolutions.
These important steps need to be well coordinated, and they provide an opening for
OHCHR to carry out its work. To ensure greater effectiveness, such steps should include
considerations for the protection of civilians – a colossal challenge for the international
community.
89.
OHCHR endeavoured to respond more promptly to emerging crises in States,
notwithstanding the challenges, including security conditions, the will of the relevant
authorities, whether a human rights presence or Council mandate was present and adequate
financial resources.
90.
In February and March, I sent missions to Tunisia and Egypt respectively, to discuss
human rights challenges with national and international counterparts, as well as possible
avenues for cooperation during the transition. In June and July, OHCHR conducted a
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