A/HRC/21/35
Lastly, in conjunction with other United Nations agencies and civil society organizations,
OHCHR celebrated key international events, including the 16 Days of Activism against
Gender Violence Campaign, World Habitat Day, International Women’s Day, World
Indigenous People’s Day, World Press Freedom Day and the International Day in Support
of Victims of Torture by co-organizing public forums, film projections and press
conferences, and printing information and advocacy materials, including opinion columns
in major newspapers.
62.
Liaising with the media and promoting press engagement on human rights issues is
another core part of the Office’s work. In addition to holding coffee briefings for the press
and supporting the missions of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in
Cambodia, OHCHR piloted a training programme for 24 local media practitioners on
human rights standards in journalism in October 2011. In 2011/12, financial grant support
was focused on children’s rights. A grant provided to the local non-governmental
organization Mith Samlanh (“Friends”) saw 180 street children and young people gaining a
better understanding of their basic rights through interactive classroom discussions that
culminated in art work and a public performance. Financial support was also provided to
the association Pour un Sourire d’Enfant to produce videos to raise awareness of sexual
abuse, domestic violence and slavery, which to date have been screened before more than
3,200 students from institutions and public schools supported by the association.
VII. Reporting and follow-up
63.
Cambodia continued to evince its strong treaty ratification record. The Government
committed to the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
by the end of 2012. OHCHR continued to assist Cambodia in complying with its periodic
reporting obligations under the treaties to which it is a party. The State’s last outstanding
report under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is expected to be
submitted later in 2012. Although the Government has taken steps to implement the report
of the 2009 visit to Cambodia by the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, the report
itself remains confidential. OHCHR urges the Government to make that report public.
64.
The reporting period witnessed significant developments in the Government’s
follow-up to the 91 universal periodic review recommendations accepted by Cambodia in
December 2009. In July 2011, OHCHR, together with the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland, Sweden and the European Union, supported the Cambodian Human
Rights Committee in convening a meeting between civil society and ministries to formulate
a basic framework and plan of action to implement the above-mentioned recommendations.
This was the first meeting between a broad spectrum of civil society representatives and the
Government on human rights issues for some years. Participants in the meeting heard from
a representative of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysian, Suhakam, on that
country’s experience in implementing universal periodic review recommendations. The
Office worked closely with the Cambodian Human Rights Committee in the preparation of
plans of action for each ministry, describing how the Government can implement the
recommendations before Cambodia is considered for the second cycle of the review.
During the reporting period, OHCHR supported the Special Rapporteur on the situation of
human rights in Cambodia during his two missions to the country. 5
5
16
A/HRC/21/63 and Add.1.
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