A/HRC/7/58
page 11
a human rights perspective. UNMIS-Human Rights also provided technical assistance for the
development of a policy framework on relocation, which aimed to provide increased protection
to internally displaced persons and urban poor from forced relocations. OHCHR-Uganda
contributed to the review of national policies, including a draft national land policy.
34. Large-scale infrastructure and development projects have also been monitored, particularly
in view of the potential negative impact on the economic, social and cultural rights of
marginalized and poor members of society. For example, OHCHR-Cambodia commented on the
impact that agro-industrial plantations and concessions might have on the rights to land and
resources of indigenous people, causing eviction and resettlement issues. Along similar lines, the
Office in Mexico monitored the impact on human rights of a dam in the State of Guerrero, which
could affect 20,000 people and flood more than 20 indigenous communities. In the Sudan,
UNMIS-Human Rights monitored and reported on forced relocation and evictions due to the
construction of two large-scale hydropower dams in the northern Nile valley.
35. Research on and assessments of human rights were conducted in various countries. Some
examples include OHCHR-Mexico, which produced several documents on indigenous women
and their access to justice, or on violence and discrimination, highlighting the interdependence
between civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. The documents contain conclusions
and recommendations on how to improve respect and protection of indigenous and women’s
rights. In Nepal, OHCHR conducted a mission on poverty reduction and social exclusion to
analyse national poverty reduction strategies, including social, economic, and governance
policies, from a human rights perspective. The outcome of the mission was published in a
detailed report. OHCHR-Uganda is conducting research into the human rights of persons with
disabilities, with a focus on the rights of persons with mental disabilities in post-conflict
situations. This field presence also collaborated with the Uganda Human Rights Commission to
prepare a policy report on the right to land, housing and property restitutions for returning
internally displaced persons in northern regions.
36. Many human rights field presences continued to provide support for capacity-building in
the area of human rights, including economic, social and cultural rights. At the country level,
OHCHR conducted training workshops to highlight international human rights standards,
including economic, social and cultural rights, for ethnic minorities and indigenous communities,
persons with disabilities, children, women, refugees, internally displaced persons and returnees.
Participants in the workshops included Government officials, local authorities, parliamentarians,
national human rights institutions, non-governmental and community-based organizations,
United Nations staff, representatives of the private sector and the media, human rights defenders,
legal and health professionals, academia, trade unions and students. Furthermore, other
mechanisms to promote economic, social and cultural rights at the local and national levels were
also enhanced. For instance, in OHCHR-Timor-Leste, a resource centre on economic, social and
cultural rights was opened for the general public and nearly 400 documents were made available
in English, Indonesian and Tetun. At the regional level, the Uganda field presence together with
OHCHR in Geneva held a subregional workshop for East Africa on using human rights
indicators in planning, promoting and monitoring the implementation of human rights
commitments. The workshop included a session for health policymakers and national
development planners on indicators on the right to health and on the use of indicators for poverty
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents