A/HRC/44/28
OHCHR conducted several business and human rights peer learning workshops, providing
opportunities for dialogue and cooperation. These workshops convened business
representatives in a candid and practical dialogue on implementing the Guiding Principles
on Business and Human Rights in specific operational contexts. The workshops were held
at the regional office for South-East Asia in Bangkok, in Moscow and in Pretoria. In the
context of the OHCHR Accountability and Remedy project, 5 the Southern African
subregional consultation covering Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe was jointly
convened with rights holders, civil society and national human rights institutions and saw
the participation of the human rights commissions of these three countries. In addition, a
consultation focused on the role of national human rights institutions in access to remedy
for business-related human rights harms.
In “The highest aspiration: a call to action for human rights”, the Secretary-General
envisions a world in which everyone can benefit from the new frontiers of the digital age,
including through cooperation. Further to the 2019 report of the High-level Panel on Digital
Cooperation,6 OHCHR is jointly leading follow-up to the human rights recommendations
and is engaged in several system-wide efforts, including the Secretary-General’s strategies
on hate speech and data. With a view to developing clearer guidance on human rights
expectations from private companies as they develop and deploy digital technologies,
OHCHR launched the B-Tech project, an inclusive and dynamic process of dialogue,
consultation and research to advance respect for human rights in business practices in the
development and application of digital technology.7
In the United Nations Network on Migration, OHCHR contributes to system-wide
support to Member States in their implementation, follow-up and review of the Global
Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. The Office thereby supports human
rights-based international, regional and bilateral cooperation and dialogue on migration in
all its dimensions and by all stakeholders, towards realizing the rights and well-being of
migrants and their communities of destination, origin and transit.
Following the launch in 2017 by OHCHR of the “Faith for Rights” framework,8 the
#Faith4Rights toolkit, as refined in 2019, contains prototypes of peer-to-peer learning
modules, exploring the relationship between religions, beliefs and human rights. Taking the
elimination of religious intolerance as a means to enhance international cooperation in
human rights, the toolkit translates the Beirut Declaration on Faith for Rights and its 18
commitments into practical learning and capacity-building programmes. The 18 modules
offer concrete ideas for learning exercises, share personal stories or provide inspiring
examples of artistic expression.
The Group of Five for the Sahel provides an institutional framework for
coordination and regional cooperation in development policies and security matters in the
Sahel region. OHCHR participated in strengthening human rights interventions there by
seeking to build mechanisms, systems and policies required for greater protection and
promotion of human rights in the region. OHCHR promotes human rights and the rule of
law as the fundamental bases of national, regional and international counter-terrorism
policies and strategies through technical assistance and capacity-building initiatives,
monitoring, advocacy for and reporting on human rights compliance in the counterterrorism context.
1.
Country and regional presences
OHCHR has 84 presences worldwide, including 17 country offices, 12 human rights
components in peace operations, 12 regional offices, 37 human rights advisers deployed
under the United Nations Sustainable Development Group framework, and 6 other
presences. This section provides examples of the activities of OHCHR at the regional and
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See www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Business/Pages/ARP_III.aspx.
See www.un.org/en/pdfs/DigitalCooperation-report-for%20web.pdf.
See www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Business/Pages/B-TechProject.aspx.
See www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/FreedomReligion/Pages/FaithForRights.aspx.
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