29/48 Report of the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights

GE.15-08035 (E)



Human Rights Council Twenty-ninth session

Agenda item 10

Technical assistance and capacity-building

Report of the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights*

Summary

The present report is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 18/18,

in which the Council invited the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the United

Nations Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights to present

a comprehensive report on the Board’s work on an annual basis, starting from the twentieth

session of the Council. It provides an update on the work of the Board of Trustees of the

Fund since the previous report of the Chairperson of the Board (A/HRC/26/51).

* The annexes to the present report are circulated as received.

United Nations A/HRC/29/48

General Assembly

Contents Paragraphs Page

I. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1 – 6 3

A. Background ..................................................................................................... 1 – 2 3

B. Mandate .......................................................................................................... 3 – 6 3

II. Activities and results of the Voluntary Fund and the Board of Trustees ................. 7 – 28 4

A. Fortieth session ............................................................................................... 7 – 13 4

B. Forty-first session ........................................................................................... 14 – 28 6

III. Technical cooperation ............................................................................................. . 29 – 54 9

A. Technical cooperation, the broadest possible participation of all elements

of national societies and its complementarity to efforts of regional and

subregional human rights mechanisms .......................................................... 29 – 37 9

B. Synergy and partnerships with other United Nations entities ........................ 38 – 41 11

C. Measuring results of technical cooperation, and the response of the Office of

the High Commissioner ................................................................................. 42 – 44 12

D. Guidance tools on technical cooperation ....................................................... 45 – 49 13

E. Main findings, challenges identified and recommendations ........................... 50 – 54 14

IV. Status of funding and donors ................................................................................... 55 – 58 15

Annexes

I. Voluntary Fund cost plan and expenditures: 2013 .................................................. 17

II. Voluntary Fund cost plan and expenditures: 2014 .................................................. 18

III. Financial status of the Voluntary Fund: 2014 ......................................................... 19

IV. List of donors and contributors ............................................................................... 20

I. Introduction

A. Background

1. The United Nations Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of

Human Rights, established by the Commission on Human Rights in its resolution 1987/83,

receives voluntary contributions from Governments, organizations and individuals. The

objective of the Fund is to provide financial support for international cooperation aimed at

building up and strengthening national and regional institutions and infrastructures that will

have long-term impact on improved implementation of international human rights

standards.

2. The Board of Trustees has been operational since 1993 and its members are

appointed by the Secretary-General for a three-year renewable term. The mandate of the

Board is to assist the Secretary-General in streamlining and rationalizing the working

methods and procedures of the technical cooperation programme. It meets twice a year and

reports on its work to the Secretary-General and the Human Rights Council. Current

members are Mariclaire Acosta Urquidi (Mexico), Christopher Sidoti (Australia), Lin Lim

(Malaysia), Valeriu Nicolae (Romania) and Esi Sutherland-Addy (Ghana). Mr. Nicolae and

Ms. Sutherland-Addy were appointed to the Board in January 2015, replacing Sozar Subari

(Georgia) and Fatimata Mbaye (Mauritania) respectively, who ended their terms on 31

December 2014. The Board elected Ms. Acosta as chairperson from 30 June 2014 until 30

June 2015, when she will be replaced by Lin Lim, who was elected chairperson by the

Board at its forty-first session, in Phnom Penh and in Bangkok.

B. Mandate

3. Throughout the period under review, the Board of Trustees continued to engage

actively with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

(OHCHR), including its field presences, providing advice on policy orientation and

strategic vision on technical cooperation components of all its programmes. This refocused

approach, which is framed within the broad definition of technical cooperation, was agreed

upon by the Board of Trustees and presented to Member States in the annual report of the

Secretary-General submitted to the Human Rights Council in 2011.1

4. The members of the Board are also the constituent members of the Board of

Trustees for the Voluntary Fund for Financial and Technical Assistance in the

Implementation of the Universal Periodic Review. In that capacity, they continued to

provide OHCHR with policy guidance in order to maximize the effectiveness of technical

assistance and financial support for States in implementing recommendations of the

universal periodic review and other international mechanisms at the State level (see

A/HRC/29/22).

5. The Board sessions, held both in Geneva and in countries where OHCHR has a

presence, have been particularly useful in increasing the understanding of the synergies and

the mutual reinforcing aspects of the support provided by OHCHR through the two funds.

These aspects, together with the discussion on the financial and administrative elements

governing the two funds, help the Board members to continue to refine the various aspects

of their dual and separate mandates in order to achieve their aims more effectively and to

1 A/HRC/16/66.

strengthen further the complementarities between the two funds. For this reason, the Board

encourages OHCHR to continue to develop avenues for greater integration of aspects

relevant to the two funds.

6. The present report covers the fortieth and forty-first sessions of the Board in its

capacity relating to the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human

Rights. At those sessions, the Board continued to explore various components of the human

rights programme funded by the Fund within the framework of the OHCHR Organizational

Management Plan for 2014-2017 with a view to providing policy guidance and advice on

technical cooperation by OHCHR.

II. Activities and results of the Voluntary Fund and the Board of

Trustees

A. Fortieth session

7. The Board of Trustees of the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field

of Human Rights held its fortieth session in Geneva, from 14 to 16 October 2014. The

session was chaired by Mariclaire Acosta, who had been elected Chairperson of the Board

of Trustees at its thirty-ninth session. All members of the Board attended the session.

8. The main objectives of the session were to take stock of the financial and

administrative situation of the fund and the plans ahead for 2015; to provide comments on

the draft OHCHR practical guide on civil society space and the United Nations human

rights system; to share views on current human rights challenges and issues, such as Ebola,

and/or humanitarian situations, including conflict and insecurity, and their implications for

meeting OHCHR targets; to acquire a better understanding of the work of Human Rights

Components of United Nations peace missions in the area of technical cooperation; and to

follow up on previous visits, with particular focus on the Middle East and North Africa

region. The Board also took the opportunity during the session in Geneva to continue to

provide expertise and advice on the thematic strategies of OHCHR and its technical

cooperation components, in particular on early warning and the protection of human rights

in situations of conflict and insecurity, on widening the democratic space and on human

rights in development and in the economic sphere. The use of human rights indicators, their

adaptation to national situations and their practical application in measuring the impact on

the ground, and the tools available in the area of business and human rights, were issues

paid specific attention by the Board given the interest generated during its recent visits. The

Board also received an update on developments in the post-2015 development agenda.

9. The High Commissioner briefed the Board on the financial status of OHCHR and

the level of voluntary contributions, including for the Voluntary Fund for Technical

Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights, which unfortunately is not growing at the same

pace as the requests for support and expectations from States. The Board is gravely

concerned at the financial situation of OHCHR, and expressed its total support for the High

Commissioner and his call for increased resources from both the regular budget of the

United Nations and voluntary contributions, particularly at such a critical time, when the

operational capacities of the Office should be further strengthened rather than increasingly

stretched. In the light of the situation and as a way of symbolic contribution, the Board

decided to hold one session only in 2015 (field session) and to postpone to 2016 its second

session (the session at headquarters), which would be held in conjunction with the field

session. The Board, with the support of the secretariat, is using modern technologies to

provide a constant update on the management and use of the Fund.

10. The Board was pleased by the quality of information and availability of the

secretariat to provide specific reports with relevant information on the use of the Fund

facilitated by latest upgrades and full use of the performance monitoring system across

OHCHR. The presentation by the secretariat of the specific programmes financed by the

Fund by region and relevant to the various thematic strategies were complemented by

briefings and discussions with staff from the Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

Service, Programme Support Management Services and the Donor and External Relations

Section, who provided additional updates on the status of all financial and operational

aspects of the Fund. The Board discussed with the relevant services of the Office the low

level of contributions to the Fund compared with its increasing requirements, which in 2014

obliged the High Commissioner to allocate $8 million to the Fund from unearmarked

contributions to OHCHR in order to close the existing funding gap under the Fund.

11. The Board was invited to provide inputs for the publication Civil Society Space and

the United Nations Human Rights System: A Practical Guide for Civil Society produced by

the Civil Society Section of OHCHR. The aim of the guide is to highlight issues relating to

the work of civil society actors, with an overview of the conditions and environment needed

for a free and independent civil society, including relevant international human rights

standards for freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly and the right to

participate in public affairs. The guide includes examples of how Governments and civil

society actors have worked together to develop space for civil society to carry out its work

to advance the enjoyment of all human rights (civil, cultural, economic, political and social)

for all. Some of the examples included in the guide were made possible by the support

provided by the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation to local partners. One example

was the development of the 2012 Law for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and

Journalists in Mexico. During its visit to Tunisia in 2013, the Board had the opportunity to

discuss with local partners the participation of civil society bodies in a number of initiatives

during the democratic transition, including in the preparation of laws on accession to a

number of international human rights treaties. The strengthening of the capacities of civil

society actors to engage with international human rights mechanisms should be

accompanied by instruments to respond adequately to the rise in demand. This is

particularly important in the context of the regrettably increasing number of cases of

reported reprisals against civil society actors in many parts of the world.

12. The Board was briefed by the Rapid Response and Peace Missions Support Section

and staff on the support provided through the human rights components in United Nations

peace missions. Given the complexity of such situations, the support from components is

notable. The experiences shared from the work in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of

the Congo and Haiti should be used to continue to raise the profile of components during

negotiations on establishing mission mandates. The Board notes the usual practice of not

allocating funds missions of this type to technical cooperation programmes focused on

human rights components owing to competing priorities. This is an issue that the Board

believes should be revisited and carefully analysed The Board is interested in improving its

knowledge of the technical cooperation programmes of these components and is exploring

possibilities to visit a peacekeeping mission in the near future.

13. The Board held discussions with relevant staff members from the Middle East and

North Africa Section and the heads of OHCHR field presences in the region by means of

teleconferences on relevant developments in the region since its earlier visits to several

OHCHR presences. The work of the Office in the region clearly illustrates the importance

of drawing on all the capacities of the Office so that technical cooperation and advisory

services are based firmly on a comprehensive and coherent understanding of the particular

conditions on the ground, a result of systematic monitoring and analysis. The opportunity

for measurable success in the implementation of technical cooperation programmes is

greater when a comprehensive strategy integrating all relevant components of the work of

the Office is in place. The medium– and long-term engagement needed to see the results of

capacity-building efforts is another critical aspect. In this regard, the experiences of the

offices in Tunisia and Palestine serve as an inspiration for similar programmes in other

parts of the region and in other regions.

B. Forty-first session

14. Pursuant to the Board’s practice of holding one of its two meetings each year in a

State where OHCHR has a field presence, the forty-first session was held in Phnom Penh

from 9 to 11 February 2015 and in Bangkok from 12 to 13 February 2015. This was the

fourth time that a session of the Board was organized outside Geneva.

15. The visit to the OHCHR country office in Cambodia, the oldest OHCHR field

presence established in 1993 tracing its origins back to the United Nations Transitional

Authority in Cambodia, represented an excellent opportunity for the Board to observe in

situ how the various components of the work of the Office, including its technical

cooperation programmes, work together to better serve and support national efforts to

ensure the enjoyment of human rights by all. The main purpose of the visits, as in the case

of previous sessions and visits to the field, was to continue to gather in situ observations of

the added value of OHCHR technical cooperation efforts and areas that required

strengthening in the design and implementation of OHCHR programmes. The Board also

had the opportunity to explore how the design and implementation of such programmes

were intimately linked with all components of the various areas of work of the Office and

how the Office works with the rest of the United Nations family to promote human rights.

16. The visit to the OHCHR Regional Office for South East Asia in Bangkok was an

opportunity for Board members to better understand the type of support being provided

from a regional setting. The Board noted that the Office had gone through important

transformations for the three previous years, which have strengthened the capacity of

OHCHR to respond to, and to provide support in, complex situations. The Board was

pleased to be able to observe an OHCHR regional office in action, and welcomed the

efforts made to strengthen the regional office further. The visit confirmed its view of the

importance for OHCHR of continuing to seek to establish regional offices in all regions to

ensure global coverage and the global implementation of the full mandate of the High

Commissioner, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 48/141. While in

Bangkok, the Board also held discussions with the human rights advisers deployed to

United Nations country teams in the region. The Advisers had been deployed with support

of the Voluntary Fund to States such as Sri Lanka and Papua New Guinea, or are being

deployed under the United Nations Development Group – Human Rights Working Group

framework to States including Timor-Leste and the Philippines.

17. In Cambodia, the Board discussed technical cooperation activities by the OHCHR

presence in the country with different national authorities, United Nations partners and civil

society organizations. This included visits to selected projects, such as the resettlement site

at Oudong, the Court in Kampong Speu and the Correctional Centre 1, where the Board

was briefed on the specific situation of human rights on the basis of the Office’s

observations and how specific technical cooperation programmes and advisory services

supported national institutions, in particular State authorities, including the Ministry of the

Interior and the Ministry of Justice, in addressing remaining challenges.

18. During the visit, the Board held discussions with representatives of the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior and other relevant State institutions on the

support provided in various thematic areas, including through technical cooperation and

advisory services, for example, on follow-up to recommendations made by human rights

mechanisms in the area of justice system reform, prison reform, implementation of the

Convention against Torture and the Optional Protocol thereto, land rights and the right to

housing. The situation of human rights defenders and the critical importance of keeping the

space open for civil society actors in order to continue to support the State’s efforts in the

area of human rights were also a main area of discussions with relevant stakeholders.

Particularly important for the Board was the good cooperation between the Office and the

Ministry of the Interior. The Office had been able to use its convening capacity to promote

dialogue and understanding on crucial current issues, including those related to access to

land and the exploitation of natural resources.

19. In its discussions with representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the Board was able

also to understand the progress made in strengthening the justice system in the country. One

of the issues discussed with both the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Justice was

that of prison overcrowding, something the Board had witnessed during its visit to

Correctional Centre 1. The Board was of the view that, in order to build on the

achievements made to date by the ongoing technical cooperation programmes in the area of

prison reform, the State could request further support from the Office, in particular on

issues requiring joint action by both ministries to respond effectively to the important

concerns regarding overcrowding and the large number of persons in pretrial detention. The

visit to the Kampong Speu Court, which was built and operated with the support of

OHCHR and the United Nations Development Programme, had given the Board the chance

to observe both progress made and the challenges remaining in the area of justice reform.

The Board had also observed the result of the technical cooperation efforts made in the

formulation and implementation of the new Code of Criminal Procedure, including the

participation of all judges and prosecutors in round-table and panel discussions across the

country in order to identify challenges and possible solutions. The Board had appreciated

the enormous efforts made to completely rebuild the court system in Cambodia, but

remained concerned that there was still a critical need for support in order to allow the

system to become fully operational. This was all the more urgent given that the Board was

informed by State officials that resources were becoming extremely limited.

20. The Board had held discussions with the Cambodia Human Rights Committee on

the technical support provided by OHCHR and other United Nations partners in a number

of legislative processes. Concerns with regard to both the current difficulties encountered

by civil society and the potential impact that proposed legislation might have on the space

for civil society organizations to operate were discussed. The Board very much hoped that

any initiative planned in this direction would fully take into account existing international

standards and good practices around the world. Maintaining this space was essential for

civil society to continue to carry out its crucial role in national development.

21. In both Phnom Penh and Bangkok, the Board held discussions with civil society

representatives, at both the country and regional levels, on the increasingly restricted

contexts in which they worked, the efforts of the Office to protect and increase civil society

space, and the technical support received from the Office to strengthen capacities to better

engage with human rights mechanisms. Other issues discussed included concerns relating

to human rights defenders, the promotion of freedom of expression and assembly, and

participation in national policy processes. The Board was also briefed about human rights

issues relating to land and the environment, migration and the fight against human

trafficking.

22. During meetings with the Board, representatives of the United Nations agencies and

programmes in Phnom Penh and Bangkok confirmed the critical guiding role that OHCHR

played in supporting the integration of recommendations made by international human

rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, treaty bodies and the universal

periodic review, into United Nations programme tools on the ground, including the United

Nations Development Assistance Frameworks. When the outcome of these mechanisms

were fully integrated into the early stages of programming, planning and assessment

processes, there were greater opportunities to develop sound programmes to support States’

efforts to address critical human rights issues and to develop solid partnerships with

relevant national institutions. In this context, discussions with human rights advisers

deployed in the region were particularly enlightening with regard to opportunities and areas

requiring improvement, in particular their capacity to provide technical cooperation and

advisory services in collaboration with other United Nations agencies.

23. The Board took the opportunity of its visit to Bangkok to discuss (via

teleconferencing) with the chairpersons of the national human rights commissions of

Malaysia and the Philippines the Office’s support for the establishment and strengthening

of national protection systems, of which national human rights institutions that comply with

the Paris Principles were a key pillar. The Board also discussed developments regarding the

Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights of the Association of Southeast Asian

Nations. The Board reiterated its view that technical cooperation in the field of human

rights should give high priority to the development and strengthening of national human

rights systems and institutions. It was pleased to learn that 6 of the 11 States in South-East

Asia had national human rights institutions, and that five of those six had “A” status. It

noted the strong support given to national human rights institutions by the regional office

and its close collaboration with them. It encouraged the regional office and other OHCHR

field presences in the region to continue this support and collaboration.

24. The Board found that OHCHR priorities in Cambodia during the programming

cycle for the period 2014-2017were in line with the expectations of national stakeholders,

and that the Office continued to be seen, more than 20 years since its establishment, as a

reliable partner with the capacity to respond adequately to new challenges, for example, in

the area of access to land and housing. The Board considers that the Office would benefit

from strengthening its efforts and capacity together with relevant State institutions to

continue to provide support to turn into concrete capacity-building actions the specific

needs for protection of civil society space and the work of human rights defenders and

organizations that have played a critical role in supporting the advances made in the

country. This is particularly relevant in preparations for the next electoral period, during

which the Office could provide valuable advice within the framework of its thematic

strategy on widening democratic space.

25. The Board is of the view that the programme of the Regional Office for South-East

Asia is also in line with the expectations of main partners with whom the Board met,

including State officials and representatives of regional institutions and national human

rights mechanisms, civil society and United Nations partners. The Board encourages the

Office to continue to invest in strengthening the methodologies in place for thematic

research, and to improve mechanisms for data collection and data analysis and the

collection of lessons learned and good practices. The Board is particularly pleased with the

recent strengthening of the capacities of the Regional Office to respond to humanitarian

emergencies and to enlarge its thematic expertise, for example in the area of land-related

issues. The Board encourages OHCHR to continue to deploy thematic expertise to its

regional presences in order to make such expertise more readily available at the regional

and country levels.

26. The Board was most impressed again with the dedication and commitment of so

many of the OHCHR and other United Nations staff member that it met during its visits.

These officials work often in difficult and challenging contexts. They are often confronted

with situations where they are required to work in isolation from other colleagues and, in

many cases, from their families. Throughout its visits, the Board observed the incredible

added value of staff members who had experience from the different parts of the Office,

across regions and within various parts of the United Nations system in supporting building

solid programmes and partnerships on the ground.

27. As demonstrated throughout the recent visits and the discussions held with all

partners on the ground, direct exposure to the situation on the ground is particularly helpful

for the Board when identifying and proposing advice on ways to continue to strengthen the

technical cooperation of the Office. The availability of the Office and opportunities it has to

be present in places where action is needed and to use all possible tools within the full

scope of the mandate of the High Commissioner is critical for the implementation of

effective technical cooperation. During the Board’s visits to Africa, the Americas and Asia,

as in its latest thematic reports to the Human Rights Council on technical cooperation and

national policies and inclusive and participatory development,2 and in the annual reports of

the Office, numerous good practices yielding key measurable results have been identified

and documented. These are experiences that could be replicated or emulated in other parts

of the world.

28. The Board took the opportunity of part of its last day in Bangkok to hold an internal

meeting to continue discussions on its future programme. During the meeting, the Board

formally welcomed the two newly appointed members, Esi Sutherland-Addy and Valeriu

Nicolae. Lin Lim was elected chairperson of the Board to succeed Ms. Acosta from 1 July

2015. The Board also proposed to explore the possibility of focusing the next field session

in 2016 on the Europe and Central Asia Region and combining it with the shortened,

postponed annual session in Geneva.

III. Technical cooperation

A. Technical cooperation, the broadest possible participation of all

elements of national societies and its complementarity to efforts of

regional and subregional human rights mechanisms

29. The Board has brought to the attention of the Human Rights Council a number of

components for effective technical cooperation by OHCHR that have become evident in its

experience of overseeing the management of the Voluntary Fund. The Board, through its

reports and presentations to the Council, has already elaborated on (a) the importance of

anchoring technical cooperation to the universality and indivisibility of all human rights,

including its protection and promotion aspects; (b) the critical importance of building and

strengthening national frameworks and institutions in the field of human rights through

technical cooperation and advisory services with the support of OHCHR; and (c) the

importance of partnerships with United Nations entities on the ground.

30. As part of its programme of work for the coming years, the Board would like to

continue to elaborate on the main elements of the above-mentioned components, as it

considers that this could be beneficial for supporting the Office in the implementation of

the technical cooperation aspects of its programme for 2014-2017 and subsequent ones. In

the present report, the Board elaborates on its view that, for technical cooperation

programmes to be successful and effective, they should ensure the broadest possible

participation of all elements of national societies and be complementary to efforts of

regional and subregional human rights mechanisms, one of the mentioned components.

2 A/HRC/27/41 and A/HRC/28/42.

31. Effective technical cooperation must be based on the broadest possible participation

and consultation with all the elements of national society. This aspect is a key element to

achieving the two main of objectives of technical cooperation, namely, to improve the

promotion and protection of human rights for all, and to ensure the sustainability of

outcomes.

32. The term “participation” should be understood as an inclusive term that refers to

engagement with all relevant actors in all the stages of the technical cooperation process,

from needs assessments to the design, formulation, implementation, monitoring and

evaluation of impact of these programmes. It should be noted that, in this case, both the

process and the outcome are equally important and mutually dependent. There can be no

good human rights outcome without a good human rights process. Investing in the full

participation of all sectors is crucial in ensuring that efforts to strengthen national protection

mechanisms, including through better legislation, policies and institutions, are built and

developed in a sustainable manner, and that investment continues to yield results once

technical support comes to an end.

33. Participation is a fundamental human rights principle – a human right in itself – and

central to the efficiency and sustainability of development efforts, including through

technical cooperation and assistance. It demands that all persons from all sectors of society

be entitled to active, free, meaningful and informed participation in any efforts of the State

aimed at realizing the full enjoyment of life in dignity. The enjoyment of the right to

participation depends on the realization of other human rights, including the rights to

freedom of association, assembly and expression, just to mention a few. To enable

meaningful participation, it is critical to ensure free access to information and full

transparency in decision-making processes. Numerous technical cooperation programmes at

the national level with the support of the United Nations are specifically designed to

support national efforts to enable an environment where these rights can be fully realized

and the fruits of those programmes enjoyed by all.

34. Women across regions and countries face deeply rooted challenges to their

enjoyment of equal participation in decision-making and leadership processes, in particular

women from marginalized and disadvantaged groups. Women are inadequately represented

in relevant community organizations, local settings and legal decision-making bodies,

which are essential avenues for ensuring participation. . Deeply rooted gender bias present

in many societies may require that quotas for women be established in, inter alia, education

and training programmes, and leadership positions in decision-making bodies, to achieve

gender equality and the empowerment of women. For these reasons, effective technical

cooperation programmes, and particularly those in the field of human rights, have to take

into account, at all stages from design through to implementation, all these limitations and

challenges, such as mobility, resources, caregiving responsibilities and lack of familiarity

with policies, to ensure that they do not constrain or limit the active participation of women

at any level. Some of the effective practices to ensure women’s participation include, for

example, actively looking for women’s inputs during the discussions, making sure that

women receive appropriate information to participate, offering child care during the

participatory processes, scheduling meetings in a way that is compatible with women’s care

responsibilities and where necessary, holding exclusive sessions for women.

35. During its visits to field presences and discussions held with State institutions, the

Board observed several obstacles to meaningful representation and innovative practices to

promote participation. Regrettably, opportunities to address properly the obstacles or to

share promising experiences are often limited. States and key stakeholders have recognized

in private meetings with the Board the key convening role that the Office plays in

supporting these consultative and participatory processes. The most recent report of the

High Commissioner on technical assistance to support inclusive and participatory

development and poverty reduction at the national level (A/HRC/28/42) included relevant

examples in the area of participation, some of which possible by the Fund, that could

inspire other States seeking support in this critical area.

36. The Board had the opportunity during its field session to visit some of the examples

included in the above-mentioned report and other relevant projects, and to discuss with the

relevant stakeholders and beneficiaries the ways in which effective and meaningful

participation had been and could be promoted through technical cooperation and advisory

services support. For example, during its visit to Mexico in 2014, the Board discussed with

the Ministry of the Interior the programmes in place with support from the OHCHR country

office for the development of the national human rights plan of action and State-level plans,

including the mechanisms for participation. In Coahuila, the Board had the opportunity to

see closely and discuss, with the Governor of the State and other relevant stakeholders, the

operationalization of the human rights plan of action at the State level. During its visit to

Mauritania in 2013, the Board learned about the capacity-building efforts of the OHCHR

country office in support of community coalitions working against slavery, succeeding in

having laws strengthened and working towards more effectively enforcement. In its recent

visit to Cambodia, the Board was particularly pleased by the level of recognition by the

authorities in the Ministry of the Interior of the convening role that the Office in Cambodia

was playing to support the Government in holding provincial dialogues and animating

participation of relevant groups, with particular emphasis on disadvantaged groups,

regarding critical current human rights issues, such as land rights.

37. The underrepresentation of most discriminated groups, including ethnic minorities,

indigenous peoples’ and other most disadvantaged groups, in both consultations and

decision-making processes remains a serious issue to be addressed when it comes to

ensuring meaningful and effective participation. Increased social exclusion and a widening

socioeconomic gap between the majorities and these groups is a challenge that needs

significantly better policies and action by all stakeholders involved. Capacity-building and

institutional support for individuals and organizations representing the most vulnerable and

discriminated groups needs to become more visible throughout the thematic strategies for

OHCHR offices and the programmes in place to implement these strategies. The Office has

developed on the basis of its years of experience numerous good practices through technical

cooperation programmes on, for example, indigenous peoples’ participation; representation

and participation of persons belonging to minorities; and the full involvement of persons

with disabilities in standard-setting processes. The Board encourages the Office to continue

to build on these experiences, joining forces also with the experience of other relevant

organizations, including regional human rights institutions and mechanisms.

B. Synergy and partnerships with other United Nations entities

38. The Board continues to focus much of its attention on synergy and partnerships

among United Nations agencies and programmes in the area of technical cooperation in the

field of human rights during its sessions, in particular during its visits to OHCHR presences

in countries. The promotion and protection of human rights is one of the three pillars of the

United Nations and so is a responsibility shared by all United Nations agencies. Each can

contribute within its own mandate, complementing the work of the High Commissioner, for

greater effectiveness of the United Nations Organization as a whole. The Board is also

aware of the very few resources available to the High Commissioner in both absolute and

relative terms when compared with many other United Nations agencies, and of the need,

for the most practical of reasons, to encourage other United Nations agencies to share the

burden of implementing the human rights pillar.

39. Through the latest discussions with United Nations Resident Coordinators and

representatives of other United Nations agencies and programmes (for example from

Malaysia (via teleconference) and Thailand in 2015, as in Mexico in 2014 and previously in

Tunisia and Mauritania), the Board has had the opportunity to study the extent to which the

programme, priority focus and activities of the various types of OHCHR presences are also

in line with or respond to the main human rights issues and the demands from a variety of

country partners, and how they relate and are linked to the United Nations development

framework, other programming tools and joint United Nations development efforts on the

ground.

40. The Board has observed that the Office has managed to be extremely innovative and

active, taking into account the extremely limited at is disposal, and found it to be a reliable

and critical partner in joint capacity-building and advisory services provided by the United

Nations at the request of Governments.

41. The discussions with, for example, the Resident Coordinator in Malaysia served in

particular to gain an insight into the expectations facing the Office from the United Nations

system and how the Office can provide support from a regional presence, such as the

Regional Office for South-East Asia in Bangkok. During the discussions, the role of the

Office in ensuring the mainstreaming of human rights throughout the work of United

Nations country teams was particularly stressed, as was the capacity of the Office to

provide timely and substantive advice on relevant normative human rights issues. All

United Nations partners, however, recognized that an adequately staffed and mandated

presence of the Office is a key factor in providing adequate assistance to jointly develop

technical cooperation programmes at the request and in close cooperation with relevant

State entities.

C. Measuring results of technical cooperation, and the response of the

Office of the High Commissioner

42. At its most recent sessions in Geneva and particularly in the field, the Board

witnessed how OHCHR has now in practice moved to measuring impact at the State level

and to monitoring programme implementation through the full use of the performance

monitoring system by all its presences and all structures at Headquarters. The utility of the

system has been further proven in 2015 during the programme review conducted in the

context of the Office’s efforts to address its difficult financial situation. Board members are

very encouraged by the impressive results that the increased, systematic and better use of

the system is helping to achieve.

43. During its sessions in the field in 2015, the Board has been able to observe in

particular how the system, which interlinks planning, monitoring, the production of reports

and sharing experiences, allows the Office to monitor the implementation of its

programmes in real time and to make the adjustments necessary to ensure the achievement

of the defined results. The Board also finds it encouraging that field presences increasingly

use the system to identify examples of good practices to use when designing their own

programmes.

44. The Board commends OHCHR for its efforts to ensure the full functioning and use

of the system by all its planning entities. It believes that the next challenges for OHCHR are

to improve the production of reports by upgrading the capacity of staff to upload accurate

and relevant information; and to further improve use of the system by senior managers in

their daily work and decision-making. Although the upgrades implemented in recent years,

including the financial module, are assessed very favourably by the Board, there is a need

to develop them further and to align them with other administrative and financial tracking

systems of the Office. The Board encourages the United Nations Secretariat to ensure that

the transition of OHCHR to the new Umoja resource planning system will not have a

negative impact on the achievements of the performance monitoring system, but will rather

strengthen it further.

D. Guidance tools on technical cooperation

45. As one of the vehicles used by OHCHR to fulfil the mandate of the High

Commissioner, technical cooperation continues to be an effective means for overcoming

gaps in-country knowledge and capacity, and for supporting efforts made by the country to

address them. For technical cooperation programmes to be effective, they need to be based

on a comprehensive situation analysis and a thorough assessment of capacity and other

critical shortfalls. The efforts and increased guidance of the Office towards strengthening

its planning and programming guidance tools (in particular in preparation of the

organizational management plan for the period 2014-2017) have further developed its

capacities to respond better to the needs identified and the requests for technical and

advisory services on the ground by, for example, developing further the process of

consultation with main stakeholders.

46. OHCHR has continued to develop and provide specific reference tools relevant to

technical cooperation in order to guide its field presences and staff on the approach of

OHCHR to technical cooperation and to ensure access to updated OHCHR policies,

practices and procedures relating to technical cooperation and results-based management.

47. The Board found the efforts of the Office to use the gains and experiences reflected

in a study on the protection impact of United Nations human rights field presences3

particularly relevant to strengthening the capacities of the staff of the Office in its field

presences through follow-up training and seminars. In all its visits, the Board has observed

with satisfaction the recognition by State entities, national human rights institutions and

civil society organizations of the engagement efforts of the Office and its staff, and its

ability to maintain trust while being able to discuss difficult issues frankly, building on its

observance and monitoring work, and to adapt to changing environments without losing

focus. The OHCHR office in Mexico, for example, which receives support from the Fund,

has benefited from these capacity-building efforts. The Board welcomes the plans of the

Office to continue to strengthen capacities on the ground, building on these useful

experiences and lessons learned.

48. The Voluntary Fund has traditionally provided support for the deployment of human

rights advisers to United Nations Resident Coordinators and country teams. Since 2012, all

deployments are operated under a new framework formulated by the United Nations

Development Group and supported by a dedicated multi-donor trust fund For this reason,

human rights advisers deployed prior to the endorsement of the framework in 2012 policy

(and therefore supported financially by the Voluntary Fund) work alongside advisers by the

above- mentioned multi-donor trust fund. The Board has commended the Office for its

efforts to align all deployments, regardless of the source of funding, with the mentioned

policy. It also welcomes recent initiatives aimed at strengthening the results-based

management capacities of human rights advisers. As the number of deployments has

increased in response to growing demand, such initiatives as the global workshop for

human rights advisers, held in Geneva from 30 June to 4 July 2014 and aimed at

3 Liam Mahony and Roger Nash, Influence on the Ground: Understanding and Strengthening the

Protection Impact of United Nations Human Rights Field Presences (Brewster, Massachusetts,

Fieldview Solutions, 2012).

strengthening the capacity of all human rights advisers through the sharing of experiences

and practices, are most welcome.

49. The Board encourages OHCHR to continue to develop this type of initiative for all

types of field presences receiving support from the Voluntary Fund for Technical

Cooperation, to complete the manual on technical cooperation, and to update it regularly.

E. Main findings, challenges identified and recommendations

50. During its visits to OHCHR field presences, the thematically focused sessions in

Geneva, the follow-up engagement and advice on the implementation of the thematic

strategies within the programming cycle 2014-2017 and the increasing number of

opportunities to observe the complementarities of the support through the two funds, the

Board has broadened its overview of the programmes of the Office, its technical

cooperation components and the connections with other work of the Office and of other

United Nations programmes. This has substantially expanded the opportunities for strategic

and policy advice on the technical cooperation components of the support provided by

OHCHR.

51. Through its discussions with all partners on the ground, the Board has been able to

confirm its view that the often artificial separation between the various types of work that

OHCHR undertakes to support States in their responsibility to ensure fulfilment of human

rights for all does not always reflect the reality of needs and requests on the ground.

Another important role played by the Office is that of guiding, through technical

cooperation and advisory services, not only States and other national stakeholders but also

other parts of the United Nations family on ways to ensure the promotion and protection of

human rights in their programmes. These elements should be taken into account to fully

understand the term “technical cooperation” in the field of human rights, to be provided by

OHCHR in full accordance with the mandate of the High Commissioner. The Board very

much hopes that its views regarding the components of effective technical cooperation will

help to further a common understanding, bridging the gap between what external audiences

often expect and understand by technical cooperation and what the Office and the United

Nations in general can do to provide at the current times and within their respective

mandates.

52. The Board is impressed by the innovative approaches and the large number of good

practices and lessons learned across the Office that could further strengthen the programme

of the Office and indeed of other United Nations agencies, if adequately and timely shared

within regions and across regions. While understanding the lack of resources and the

challenges on the ground for many members of the United Nations family, the Board has

been particularly encouraged by the commitments and the capacity of OHCHR staff on the

ground to confront challenges and to develop innovative solutions and proposals. Over the

past five years, the Board has noted an increased effort by the Office to promote the sharing

of good practices in the context of its planning exercise and through important internal

mechanisms, such as the annual meeting of heads of field presences, in Geneva. This

practice is most welcome and should be further strengthened, and the tools for sharing

experiences further developed.

53. The Board stresses the importance of continuing to strengthen the capacities and

abilities of the staff of OHCHR, particularly of those working in the field. The Board would

recommend that the guidance issued on resource mobilization at the field level be

accompanied also by a strengthened capacity-building programme for those engaged in

fundraising at the local level to ensure that the efforts made yield the expected results.

54. The Secretariat should support OHCHR to put in place adequate mechanisms for

career development, taking into account the sometimes extremely difficult circumstances in

which staff operate, in particular in crisis situations. The new measures taken by the

Secretariat to ensure mobility of OHCHR and other United Nations staff members between

duty stations are most welcome. The Board would like to ensure that these measures do not

weaken but rather strengthen and support the years of investment in building robust human

rights expertise in the staff of the United Nations. This would be critical for the Office’s

capacity to effectively meet the increasing requests from Member States for technical

cooperation.

IV. Status of funding and donors

55. At its meetings in October 2014 and February 2015, the Board was updated on the

overall financial status of OHCHR and its donors, the financial situation ofr 2014 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,

and the funding projections and proposed work plan for the Fund for 2015. Expenditures

under the Fund had again increased throughout 2014 without being matched by financial

contributions, a situation that the Board brings constantly to the attention of the Human

Rights Council in its annual updates.

56. In 2014, the total expenditure of the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in

the Field of Human Rights amounted to $20.2 million. The Fund received a total of $17.7

million in voluntary contributions, of which $9.7 million were earmarked and $8 million

were allocated to the Fund from unearmarked contributions to OHCHR. The resulting

deficit of $2.5 million at the end of 2014 was covered from other existing reserves. During

this period, the Fund continued to provide resources for technical cooperation to build

strong human rights frameworks at the national level in 30 regions, States and territories.

This included support for 16 human rights advisers (in Chad, Ecuador, Honduras, Kenya,

Madagascar, the Niger, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Maldives, the Republic of Moldova,

the Russian Federation, Rwanda, South Caucasus (Georgia), Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and

Ukraine); eight human rights components of peace missions (in Afghanistan, Côte d’Ivoire,

Darfur (Sudan), Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Liberia, Libya and Somalia) and six country/stand-

alone offices (Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Kosovo,4 Mauritania, Mexico, Togo and the

State of Palestine). Details of contributions and programmes are provided in the annual

report of OHCHR for 2014.

57. Through the Fund, the Office has facilitated efforts made at the country level to

incorporate international human rights standards into national laws, policies and practices,

and contributed to the establishment and strengthening of national capacities to adhere to

these standards. Strengthening the administration of justice and increasing capacities to

promote gender equality and women’s rights have also been the focus of numerous

programmes receiving support from the Fund. Through the newly established thematic

priority on widening democratic space, greater engagement on the establishment and

functioning of responsive national human rights institutions and on human rights education

programmes have been facilitated. United Nations Resident Coordinators and country

teams have also seen their human rights capacity strengthened by the continuing

deployment of human rights advisers. Detailed information on income and expenditure

4 Reference to Kosovo should be understood in full compliance with Security Council resolution 1244

(1999) and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.

under the Voluntary Fund, its financial status in 2014 and a list of donors and contributors

are annexed to the present report (see annexes I – IV).

58. In its sessions and meetings with OHCHR and Member States, the Board continues

to underline the importance of ensuring sustainable increased contributions to OHCHR and

to the Fund, and reiterates its view that an increase in unearmarked funds will allow

OHCHR to be more flexible in implementing identified priorities and to better respond to

increasing needs.

Annex I [English only]

Voluntary Fund cost plan and expenditures: 2013

IMIS V. F. for Technical Cooperation (AHA) Expenditure

Project Number Staff costs Activities Total Total

Number Field Operations & Technical Cooperation Division of staff USD $

(a) Human Rights Advisers in UNCT (17):

- Activities implemented by OHCHR HRAs

to the UNCT in:

B-414 - Russian Federation 6 572,379 713,742 1,286,121 1,056,853

B-409 - South Caucasus, Georgia 7 592,277 305,899 898,176 711,233

B-504 - Moldova 2 244,000 109,418 353,418 347,564

B-541 - Ukraine 1 199,410 37,167 236,577 225,636

B-441 - Rwanda 1 534,634 112,023 646,657 538,437

B-488 - Kenya 5 444,927 395,585 840,512 817,483

B-503 - Niger 2 362,940 68,199 431,139 390,006

B-584 - Chad 3 359,921 128,874 488,795 308,655

B-539 - Madagascar 3 240,586 124,849 365,435 320,084

B-436 - Ecuador 3 375,340 205,262 580,602 531,583

B-531 - Paraguay 4 526,927 231,808 758,735 724,483

B-532 - Honduras (co-sharing with UNDP) 3 - 222,244 222,244 219,158

B-502 - Papua New Guinea 3 405,510 156,550 562,060 227,132

B-439 - Sri Lanka 3 249,179 197,480 446,659 389,120

B-630 - Maldives 1 33,258 86,835 120,093 45,082

B-652 - Timor Leste 3 83,939 231,479 315,418 188,699

B-617 - Malawi 1 105,373 75,484 180,857 -

sub-total HR Advisers: 51 5,330,600 3,402,898 8,733,498 7,041,208

(b) Human Rights Components of UN Peace Missions (10)

- Activities implemented by UN Peace Missions

Human Rights Units in:

B-443 - Haiti - 140,678 140,678 113,594

B-421 - Afghanistan 2 167,083 285,719 452,802 430,288

B-642 - Afghanistan / Afghan people dialogue on Peace (Belgium) - 170,147 170,147 170,000

B-442 - Côte d'Ivoire - 166,110 166,110 125,897

B-444 - Liberia - 101,361 101,361 100,965

B-431 - Sierra Leone 11 393,446 303,551 696,997 692,264

B-451 - Somalia 4 379,497 133,538 513,035 494,531

B-613 - Somalia (activities funded by Austria/ADA) 2 127,191 29,154 156,345 99,178

B-478 - Darfur, Sudan (activities funded by Switzerland) - 28,250 28,250 11,009

B-445 - South Sudan - 484,092 484,092 457,004

B-582 - Guinea Bissau - 70,625 70,625 58,472

B-583 - Central African Republic - 31,778 31,778 22,600

B-611 - Libya - 191,377 191,377 31,022

sub-total Peace Missions: 19 1,067,217 2,136,380 3,203,597 2,806,825

(c) Country/Standalone Offices (6)

B-505 - Mauritania 9 780,631 535,413 1,316,044 1,225,894

B-418 - Togo 10 916,294 581,376 1,497,670 1,452,893

B-404 - State of Palestine 22 2,287,903 729,623 3,017,526 2,933,957

B-633 - East Jerusalem, public information and legal analysis (funded by Switzerland) 4 542,400 94,242 636,642 231,057

B-419 - Bolivia 11 1,022,563 260,751 1,283,314 1,213,672

B-627 - Bolivia - Addressing socio-policital conflict project (EU funding) 0 - 504,270 504,270 413,030

B-401 - Mexico 24 2,006,742 413,778 2,420,520 2,345,679

B-420 - Kosovo (standalone office) 9 758,169 113,974 872,143 733,423

sub-total Country /Standalone Offices: 89 8,314,702 3,233,427 11,548,129 10,549,605

Adjustments related to 2012 projects expenditure/liquidation of obligations (101,018)

Sub-Total 159 14,712,519 8,772,705 23,485,224 20,296,620

Total (including 13% PSC) 87%

Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation - Status of cost plan and expenditure for 2013

OHCHR EXTRABUDGETARY RESOURCES (31 December 2013)

Cost plan 2013 (USD)

23,485,224

Annex II

[English only]

Voluntary Fund cost plan and expenditures: 2014

IMIS V. F. for Technical Cooperation (AHA) Expenditure

Project Number Staff costs Activities Total Total

Number Field Operations & Technical Cooperation Division of staff USD

(a) Human Rights Advisers in UNCT (16) */:

- Activities implemented by OHCHR HRAs

to the UNCT in:

B-414 - Russian Federation 6 586,125 646,143 1,232,268 1,134,234

B-409 - South Caucasus, Georgia 7 538,282 315,585 853,867 728,996

B-504 - Moldova 2 248,998 92,354 341,352 336,303

B-541 - Ukraine 1 200,512 38,817 239,329 284,685

B-441 - Rwanda 3 312,804 107,463 420,267 379,595

B-488 - Kenya 5 507,128 341,652 848,780 792,938

B-503 - Niger 2 367,282 61,374 428,656 271,559

B-584 - Chad 3 287,664 132,497 420,161 388,026

B-539 - Madagascar 3 228,210 169,388 397,598 290,047

B-436 - Ecuador 3 366,231 195,917 562,148 468,925

B-531 - Paraguay 3 357,112 228,003 585,115 591,083

B-532 - Honduras (co-sharing with UNDP) 3 213,882 7,944 221,826 202,565

B-502 - Papua New Guinea 3 415,798 244,894 660,692 570,357

B-439 - Sri Lanka 3 263,475 225,781 489,256 472,286

B-630 - Maldives 1 34,490 23,278 57,768 48,389

B-652 - Timor Leste 3 98,814 237,598 336,412 257,642

sub-total HR Advisers: 51 5,026,807 3,068,688 8,095,495 7,217,630

(b) Human Rights Components of UN Peace Missions (9)

- Activities implemented by UN Peace Missions

Human Rights Units in:

B-443 - Haiti 3 388,265 139,797 528,062 437,152

B-421 - Afghanistan 0 - 310,388 310,388 268,525

B-442 - Côte d'Ivoire - 167,771 167,771 166,149

B-444 - Liberia - 69,563 69,563 68,871

B-451 - Somalia 2 310,479 141,879 452,358 330,542

B-478 - Darfur, Sudan (activities funded by Switzerland) - 59,325 59,325 59,325

B-733 - South Sudan - 137,307 137,307 61,641

B-582 - Guinea Bissau - 70,659 70,659 70,625

B-583 - Central African Republic - - - -

B-611 - Libya - 190,932 190,932 174,374

sub-total Peace Missions: 5 698,744 1,287,621 1,986,365 1,637,204

(c) Country/Standalone Offices (6)

B-505 - Mauritania 9 755,772 719,481 1,475,253 1,260,950

B-418 - Togo 10 1,130,756 519,565 1,650,321 1,572,851

B-404 - State of Palestine 22 2,454,850 818,059 3,272,909 3,250,270

B-633 - East Jerusalem, public information and legal analysis (funded by Switzerland) 4 539,615 14,464 554,079 379,278

B-419 - Bolivia 11 1,188,223 271,233 1,459,456 1,369,044

B-627 - Bolivia - Addressing socio-policital conflict project (EU funding) 0 - 388,382 388,382 351,832

B-401 - Mexico 24 2,124,975 424,814 2,549,789 2,399,665

B-420 - Kosovo (standalone office) 9 797,230 104,911 902,141 762,996

sub-total Country /Standalone Offices: 89 8,991,421 3,260,909 12,252,330 11,346,886

Sub-Total 145 14,716,972 7,617,218 22,334,190 20,201,720

Total (including 13% PSC) 90%

*/ In addition, new Human Rights Advisers are being funded in 2014 by contributions received from MPTF/UNDG under the OHCHR general fund (HCA)

for a total estimated budget of USD $3,310,400 (11 HRAs in Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Bangladesh, Timor Leste, Maldives, Tanzania, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Malawi, The Philippines,

and 2 Regional Advisers in Panama and Bangkok)

Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation - Status of cost plan for 2014

OHCHR EXTRABUDGETARY RESOURCES (31 December 2014)

Cost plan 2014 (USD)

22,334,190

Annex III

[English only]

Financial status of the Voluntary Fund: 2014

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

United Nations Voluntary Fund

for Technical Cooperation (AHA)

Statement of Income and Expenditure

USD

I. Income

Voluntary contributions in 2014 17,729,934.33

Miscellaneous and interest income 322,136.28

T ota l income 18,052,070.61

II. Expenditure */ Budget 2014 Allotments USD

USD USD

Staff costs 13,023,869 12,090,852 11,805,738.70

Consultants' fees and travel 608,843 538,645.49

Travel of representatives 69,181 67,872.00

Travel of Staff 677,116 631,606.70

Contractual Services 573,206 552,388.41

General operating expenses 1,533,627 1,515,358.74

Supplies & Materials Non staff costs 475,408 425,646.27

Grants, contributions and seminars 6,760,175 2,420,646 2,362,350.71

Programme Support Costs 2,550,146 2,378,625 2,302,113.22

22,334,190 20,827,504

T ota l expenditure 90.5% 20,201,720.24

Net excess/(shortfa ll) of income over expenditures for the period (2,149,649.63)

Opening Ba lance 1.01.2014 13,437,027.70

Misce llaneous adjustments/savings/re funds to donors 1,856,661.89

Loss on exchange (159,451.97)

T ota l fund ba lance as a t 31.12.2014 12,984,587.99

*/ Includes disbursements and obligations

Estimated Net funds to be made available for activities in 2015 10,144,209.00

PSC (13%) 1,318,747.00

Operating reserve (15%) 1,521,631.00

T ota l funds ava ilable for 2015 (with PSC & Op. reserve ) 12,984,587.00

for the period 1 January - 31 December 2014 (pre liminary closing)

Annex IV

[English only]

List of donors and contributors

Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation (VFTC)

Voluntary contributions in 2014* (as at 31 December)

Donor US$

Australia-AUSAid (Timor Liste) 87,260

Belgium (Côte d'Ivoire) 133,690

Estonia (Ukraine) 37,360

European Union (strengthening the Judiciary in Bolivia) 279,167

European Union (unearmarked allocation by OHCHR) 1,251,565

Finland 1,001,252

France (Mauritania) 68,776

Germany 1,753,513

Germany (OPT) 797,500

Germany (Ukraine) 622,665

India 100,000

Japan 150,000

Kuwait 50,000

Liechtenstein 41,451

Lithuania (Ukraine) 24,783

Netherlands (Ukraine) 100,000

Norway (unearmarked allocation by OHCHR) 3,336,670

Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (CAF) 47,554

Poland (Ukraine) 48,211

Portugal 100,000

Russia 350,000

Sweden (unearmarked allocation by OHCHR) 3,082,614

Sweden (Kenya) 540,833

Switzerland (OPT Office in East Jerusalem) - Pledge 550,000

Switzerland (CHF 1.5 million) 1,578,947

Switzerland (Ukraine) 200,000

Turkey (Ukraine) 50,000

UNDP-Moldova 9,000

USAID-Mexico 87,124

United States of America 1,250,000

TOTAL 17,729,934

* Include funds earmarked by donors to the VFTC and/or to OHCHR activities financed through the VFTC, as well as unearmarked funds

allocated to the VFTC by OHCHR.