A/HRC/38/27
States in implementation, stronger collaboration with United Nations country teams
and the establishment of national mechanisms for human rights reporting and followup to link the universal periodic review to the implementation of the Sustainable
Development Goals.
41.
This vision was further elaborated by the Secretary-General in his report on
strengthening United Nations action in the field of human rights through the
promotion of international cooperation and the importance of non-selectivity,
impartiality and objectivity (A/72/351), in which he explained that the increased focus
on the follow-up to and implementation of recommendations made by human rights
mechanisms provided the United Nations system with an opportunity to engage with
Member States. International cooperation, including through human rights
mechanisms and their recommendations, provided an important basis for States to
achieve greater results in both the implementation of the Sustainable Development
Goals and human rights protection at the country level. Technical assistance in the
field of human rights should be based on such recommendations and be provided in
closer cooperation and partnership with Member States, regional human rights
mechanisms, national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and
the wider United Nations system.
42.
The emphasis on implementation was also one of the key outcomes of the
annual high-level panel discussion on human rights mainstreaming, held on 26
February 2018 during the thirty-seventh session of the Human Rights Council,
pursuant to its resolution 16/21, which had as its theme “The promotion and
protection of human rights in the light of the universal periodic review mechanism:
challenges and opportunities”. During the panel discussion, participants pointed out
that the substantive issues raised during the universal periodic review often mirrored
the recommendations of other human rights mechanisms, forming a cross-section of
critical human rights gaps at the country level which, if addressed, would build more
resilient societies and sustain development and peace. The panel identified the need
for strong coordination of implementation efforts at the national level through
national mechanisms for reporting and follow-up. The role of national human rights
institutions and non-governmental organizations at the national and international
levels was emphasized, as was the importance of non-retaliation for any form of
cooperation with United Nations human rights mechanisms. Discussions also focused
on the complementarity between the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and
the universal periodic review. The panel identified the review as a unique opportunity
for States to ground national development programmes and policies in human rights
and to move the implementation of the 2030 Agenda forward, supported by the United
Nations system at the national level, under the leadership of the United Nations
Resident Coordinator and the international donor community.
43.
OHCHR will continuously rethink and revitalize its strategic vision for followup support with the advice of the Board of Trustees of the Fund, in order to provide
more effective support to States. It will therefore continue to (a) provide capacitybuilding to States to enable them to prepare more meaningful national reports on
implementation through the provision of training for the government actors
concerned; and (b) enable States to meet their commitments by supporting them in
the implementation of key thematic priority recommendations. In this regard,
OHCHR will continue to seek to integrate recommendations from international
human rights mechanisms into the national planning processes; utilize international
human rights recommendations for early warning/conflict prevention; and ensure
that the recommendations become a crucial element in the implementation of the
Sustainable Development Goals by integrating them into relevant national
implementation frameworks and action plans.
44.
The above approach fits within the wider approach of the Office to leverage
international human rights mechanisms. OHCHR has prioritized United Nations
human rights mechanisms as one of the key pillars in its strategic focus for the next
four years, through the organizational management plan for 2018–2021. This will
allow all parts of OHCHR to effectively deliver quality support to human rights
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