A/HRC/7/29
page 16
74. OHCHR reported on the work under way to build capacities to ensure that, in accordance
with existing mandatory guidelines, human rights was an integral part of the analysis of country
situations. This included training on human rights-based analysis in the context of the common
country assessment and UNDAF processes and the launching of country web pages to better
promote the use of recommendations by special procedures in these processes.
75. OHCHR had organized meetings with Resident Coordinators to discuss the advantages of a
human rights-based approach. The Office was also increasingly involved in the selection of
Resident Coordinators.
76. OHCHR furthermore informed participants that, for five weeks, there had been an
electronic discussion on the electronic knowledge network HuRiTALK, and several
recommendations had been made by United Nations colleagues working on development issues
concerning cooperation with special procedures. One general recommendation was that the work
of special procedures should pay more attention to the conceptual framework, which was the
basis of the human rights-based approach. To strengthen dialogue between special procedures
and United Nations country teams, there were suggestions that special procedures should, on an
informal ad hoc basis, support specific country processes, in particular in the formulation of the
common country assessment, UNDAF and poverty reduction strategies. A number of good
practices had been identified.
77. Participants welcomed efforts by OHCHR to ensure enhanced integration of their work
into country analysis and programming. Participants reported on very good experiences of
cooperation with and support from some United Nations country teams. However, the situation
varied in different countries, and in some cases there was a poor understanding of the role of
special procedures and/or a lack of willingness to engage with them. It was stressed that training
and awareness-raising of country teams were essential in order to achieve enhanced synergies.
78. It was essential to think of ways to strengthen follow-up by United Nations country teams
to special procedures recommendations. Positive examples were mentioned of visits of special
procedure mandate-holders, which had facilitated synergies between different actors and
promoted the creation of platforms to follow up on their recommendations. In some cases,
mandate-holders were specifically called upon to comment on projects and other documents
produced by country teams. The desirability of improved feedback from country teams on
follow-up was underlined. In order to ensure that the momentum generated by a country visit
would not be lost, the importance of country visit reports being issued on time was stressed.
79. Participants recommended that the possibility of inviting United Nations agencies and
programmes and Bretton Woods institutions to participate in future annual meetings be explored.
It was also decided that the background papers prepared for the meeting would be updated and
good practices collected.
VIII. COOPERATION WITH TREATY BODIES
80. Participants had an opportunity to meet with the chairpersons of treaty bodies. The
exchange of views focused on UPR.
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