A/HRC/26/51
Cooperation, as well as to complete and to keep the manual on technical cooperation
regularly updated.
IV.
Status of funding and donors
48.
The Board was updated at its meetings in November 2013 and February 2014 on the
overall financial status of OHCHR and its donors, the 2013 financial situation of the
Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights and its functioning
in the overall funding system, including interlinkages with other extrabudgetary resources,
as well as the funding projections and proposed work plan for the Fund for 2014.
Expenditures under the Fund had again been increasing throughout 2013 without being
matched by financial contributions, a situation that the Board had already brought to the
attention of the Human Rights Council in recent reports.
49.
In 2013, the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation continued to provide
resources ($20.3 million) for technical cooperation to build strong human rights
frameworks at the national level in 34 regions, countries and territories. This included
support for 16 human rights advisers (in Chad, Ecuador, Honduras, Kenya, Madagascar,
Maldives, the Niger, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian
Federation, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, South Caucasus (Georgia) and Ukraine), 11
human rights components of peace missions (in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic,
Côte d’Ivoire, Darfur (Sudan), Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Liberia, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia
and South Sudan) and six country/stand-alone offices (in Bolivia (Plurinational State of),
Kosovo,2 Mauritania, Mexico, State of Palestine and Togo). In 2013, the Fund received $7
million in earmarked contributions. OHCHR therefore allocated $11.9 million from
unearmarked resources to cover the expenditures made under the Fund. Details of
contributions and programmes are provided in the annual report of OHCHR for 2013.
50.
The activities conducted under the Fund have resulted in efforts made at the country
level to incorporate international human rights standards into national laws, policies and
practices; the establishment of more sustainable national capacities to adhere to these
standards; strengthened administration of justice; greater emphasis on the development of
human rights education programmes and increased capacities with regard to gender equality
and women’s rights; the establishment of responsive national human rights institutions; the
strengthening of the human rights capacity of United Nations Resident Coordinators and
United Nations country teams through the deployment of human rights advisers; and the
development of national plans of action for the promotion and protection of human rights
and on the use of human rights indicators. Detailed information on income and expenditure
under the Voluntary Fund is annexed to the present report.
51.
In its sessions and meetings with OHCHR and Member States, the Board underlined
the importance of ensuring continuous contributions to the Fund, and reiterates its view that
an increase in unearmarked funds will allow OHCHR to be more flexible in implementing
identified priorities.
2
12
All references to Kosovo are to be construed in the context of Security Council resolution 1244
(1999) and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents