34/3 Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Document Type: Final Report
Date: 2017 Jan
Session: 34th Regular Session (2017 Feb)
Agenda Item: Item2: Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General
GE.17-00584(E)
Human Rights Council Thirty-fourth session
27 February-24 March 2017
Agenda item 2
Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the
High Commissioner and the Secretary-General
Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
* Reissued for technical reasons on 6 March 2017.
United Nations A/HRC/34/3*
I. Introduction
1. The present report, submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 48/141,
gives an overview of the work of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR) at headquarters in Geneva and New York and through its country
and regional human rights presences, from 1 December 2015 to 30 November 2016. The
report follows the OHCHR thematic priorities set out in the Office Management Plan for
2014-2017.
2. As at 1 November 2016, OHCHR supported 60 field presences consisting of 15
country or stand-alone offices, including a new office in Honduras; 12 regional
offices/centres; human rights components in 14 peace missions; and 19 Human Rights
Advisers in United Nations country teams. While there is increased demand for Human
Rights Advisers, funds are insufficient, challenging both existing deployments and the
ability to respond to new requests. Consequently, in 2016, the posts of Human Rights
Adviser in Bangladesh, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia and the regional
Human Rights Advisers for Asia and the Pacific and for Latin America and the Caribbean
were discontinued. The maintenance of a further nine Human Rights Advisers will be
reconsidered during 2017, should funds become available. OHCHR will continue working
with the United Nations Development Group to seek sustainable funding for this valuable
form of human rights presence.
3. During the period under review, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights visited Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
France, Germany, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Switzerland,
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of
America. The Deputy United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights visited
Albania, Austria, Denmark, Ecuador, Honduras, Iraq, Turkey (on the occasion of the World
Humanitarian Summit) and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Myanmar and Sri Lanka
as part of a delegation headed by the Secretary-General. The former Assistant Secretary-
General for Human Rights visited Austria, Ethiopia (to attend the African Union Summit),
Guyana, the Republic of Moldova, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United States, as well as
Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan as part of a delegation
headed by the Secretary-General. His successor, who took up his functions on 1 October
2016, also visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
4. The reporting period was one of significant and protracted crises. Civilian casualties
in conflicts reached alarming levels, while deaths and suffering from large-scale
movements of people continued to rise. During the reporting period, the death toll from
attempted migration across the Mediterranean Sea surpassed that of previous years, despite
fewer overall arrivals in Europe. Political discourse around many of these human tragedies,
relating in particular to migrants, has become more and more tainted by intolerance,
xenophobia and prejudice, while basic human rights principles are being questioned. At the
World Humanitarian Summit in May, OHCHR promoted the importance of both
international human rights law as well as international humanitarian law in humanitarian
action and made 32 commitments to enhance its engagement in humanitarian action.
5. An overarching priority for OHCHR is to support country-level implementation of
international obligations and recommendations emanating from human rights mechanisms.
Throughout the reporting period, OHCHR continued to work with Governments, national
human rights institutions, civil society and United Nations country teams to develop
common human rights strategies and better align development plans with human rights
recommendations. The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has
reinforced the intrinsic connection between human rights and development. Throughout the
world, OHCHR presences worked to gather information on gaps in the realization of human
rights and collaborated with national actors to address them through advocacy, legislative
reform and training.
6. OHCHR increased efforts to strengthen partnerships with regional organizations and
to enhance complementarity between international and regional human rights mechanisms.
In Africa, OHCHR supported the implementation by the African Union of its Human
Rights Strategy for Africa, and worked with the League of Arab States to develop a
regional human rights strategy. Moreover, OHCHR engaged regularly with the Council of
Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the European Union,
and engaged with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on the prevention of violent
extremism. OHCHR also filed amicus briefs or provided expert opinions before the
European Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
7. The High Commissioner pursued strategies to increase the effectiveness and
efficiency of the Office in delivering its mandate and to expand its donor base, as well as
organizational changes to facilitate better support to Member States, rights holders and
other partners.
II. Thematic priorities of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
A. Strengthening international human rights mechanisms
1. Treaty bodies
8. During the reporting period,1 OHCHR facilitated the review by treaty bodies of 168
State party reports; the adoption of views and decisions on more than 186 individual
communications; 10 country visits by the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and
Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; and 1 confidential inquiry
visit. A total of 300 individual communications were registered by treaty bodies. As at 30
November, 1,215 registered communications were pending decision by the respective treaty
bodies and 350 urgent actions were under consideration by the Committee on Enforced
Disappearances. Individuals alleging human rights violations have made widespread use of
treaty bodies, but this must be matched by adequate resources to avoid long delays in acting
on complaints. In July, OHCHR launched a one-year pilot project to webcast the sessions
of all human rights treaty bodies.
9. Under the treaty body capacity-building programme created by the General
Assembly in its resolution 68/268, some 50 activities to assist States were conducted upon
their request. A total of 170 State officials from 77 countries were trained as trainers on
treaty reporting, resulting in the submission of many overdue reports. Furthermore,
pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 30/25, in which the Council encouraged
States to strengthen national mechanisms to follow up and implement recommendations of
the international human rights mechanisms, OHCHR launched a practical guide and a study
on national mechanisms for reporting to treaty bodies and follow-up.2
1 Benefiting from additional meeting time as a result of General Assembly resolution 68/268.
2 National Mechanisms for Reporting and Follow-Up: A Practical Guide to Effective State Engagement
with International Human Rights Mechanisms (HR/PUB/16/1), available from
www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/HR_PUB_16_1_NMRF_PracticalGuide.pdf; and National
Mechanisms for Reporting and Follow-Up: A Study of State Engagement with International Human
10. On 18 July, in the first biennial report to the General Assembly on the status of the
human rights treaty body system pursuant to resolution 68/268 (A/71/118), the Secretary-
General noted that positive steps had been taken towards implementing the resolution but
that greater efforts were needed to harmonize working methods. The review of the treaty
body system mandated by the General Assembly for 2020 will be an important opportunity
to address the profound challenges the system continues to face.
11. Together with the Human Rights Committee and the Committee on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights, OHCHR led a year-long commemoration of the fiftieth
anniversary of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Events were also held to celebrate the
tenth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
2. Human Rights Council
12. Between September 2015 and November 2016, the Human Rights Council faced an
unprecedented workload, holding 199 meetings, including 28 panel discussions and 52
interactive dialogues with special procedure mandate holders, and adopting 148 resolutions
and decisions. OHCHR continued to support the Independent Commission of Inquiry on
the Syrian Arab Republic and the Commission of Inquiry on human rights in Eritrea. The
Council also invited the High Commissioner to report on the human rights situation in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo as and when appropriate and to dispatch a group of
independent experts to Burundi to investigate violations and abuses of human rights
committed since April 2015. Following the final report of the expert mission
(A/HRC/33/37), the Council, in resolution 33/24, decided to establish a commission of
inquiry on the human rights situation in Burundi.
13. Further to mandates established by the Council, OHCHR completed inquiries and
submitted reports on violations and abuses of human rights against Rohingya Muslims and
other minorities in Myanmar; in countries affected by Boko Haram; and in Iraq and Libya.
Following the report of the OHCHR assessment team on South Sudan and pursuant to
Council resolution 31/20, a three-member Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan
was appointed to monitor, assess and report to the Council at its thirty-fourth session. In its
resolution 31/18, the Council requested the High Commissioner to designate two experts to
support the work of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and to report at the thirty-fourth session.
14. In December 2015 and November 2016, the High Commissioner briefed Member
States on his missions, the challenges presented by global migration and the international
criminal justice system. In June, the Council commemorated its tenth anniversary by
holding a high-level panel discussion with former Council Presidents. OHCHR supported
the eighteenth session of the Working Group on the Right to Development and sessions of
the different forums established by the Council, including the first session of the United
Nations Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law.
15. The Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund to Support the Participation of
Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States in the work of the Human
Rights Council enabled the Council to hold its first universal session in June by facilitating
the participation of 18 delegates. The Trust Fund also launched an e-learning tool on the
Council and its mechanisms.
Rights Mechanisms (HR/PUB/16/1/Add.1), available from
www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/HR_PUB_16_1_NMRF_Study.pdf.
3. Universal periodic review
16. All 39 States scheduled for consideration under the universal periodic review in
2016 participated actively in the process, with interactive dialogues focusing on progress
made since the previous cycle. In addition to preparing related documentation, OHCHR
continued to support States scheduled for review, with the Voluntary Fund for Participation
in the Universal Periodic Review facilitating the participation of 32 delegates during the
year. Through its country and regional presences, OHCHR also worked with national
partners to strengthen participation in the process and follow-up in Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati,
the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Mozambique, Papua New Guinea,
Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.
17. Pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 30/25, an intersessional panel on
international cooperation and national human rights follow-up systems was held during the
twenty-sixth session of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review,
complemented by “knowledge cafés” organized by OHCHR for States to share national
practices and experiences.
18. The third universal periodic review cycle, which begins in May 2017, will
necessarily focus on strengthening national capacities to implement previous
recommendations. In this context, increased support for the Voluntary Fund for Financial
and Technical Assistance in the Implementation of the Universal Periodic Review is needed
to respond to an increasing number of requests by States for assistance.
4. Special procedures
19. The Human Rights Council created two new thematic special procedure mandates in
2016, for a Special Rapporteur on the right to development (resolution 33/14) and for an
Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual
orientation and gender identity (resolution 32/2), bringing the total number of mandates
assisted by OHCHR to 57 (43 thematic and 14 country-specific). OHCHR continued to
support mandate holders in their various mandated activities, including 93 country visits to
61 States and territories; 538 communications to 122 States and non-State actors (of which
465 were joint communications), covering at least 6,170 individuals, including 1,183
women; 134 reports to the Human Rights Council and 38 to the General Assembly; and 462
public statements. Supported by OHCHR, the Coordination Committee of Special
Procedures and individual mandate holders participated in the work of the Council,
including in special sessions.
20. The number of standing invitations extended by States (including one observer
State) to the thematic special procedures increased to 118. While pleased with the steady
increase in standing invitations, the High Commissioner emphasizes the need to honour this
commitment in practice.
21. In order to increase accessibility of the human rights mechanisms, OHCHR
launched an online form for submitting information to the special procedures on alleged
human rights violations as well as on relevant legislation, policy and practices.
5. Comprehensive follow-up to the work of the human rights mechanisms
22. As noted above, in 2016 OHCHR launched a practical guide and an accompanying
study on the engagement of States with international human rights mechanisms.
23. OHCHR supported the establishment of national coordination mechanisms for
reporting and follow-up in 26 countries. Technical assistance to create national data
platforms linking recommendations from international human rights mechanisms to
national implementation plans was provided to the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Honduras,
Kenya, Mexico, Paraguay, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, Uruguay and the State of Palestine. Furthermore, in Mauritius, Saudi Arabia
and Tunisia, the capacity of national actors to use indicators for reporting and follow-up to
the recommendations of mechanisms was strengthened.
24. OHCHR supported the development of national human rights action plans on the
basis of recommendations of the United Nations human rights mechanisms in the
Dominican Republic, the Gambia and Georgia. In collaboration with the United Nations
Office for Disarmament Affairs, OHCHR provided regional training to strengthen the
human rights capacity of diplomats across the Middle East and South-West Asia.
6. Humanitarian funds
25. The United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery
supported 25,000 victims through 42 projects in 34 countries. The United Nations
Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture awarded grants totalling $7.1 million to support
redress and rehabilitation for over 47,000 victims in more than 80 countries, in addition to
emergency grants. Responding to the increasing number of children affected by torture who
are in need of urgent assistance, the Fund convened an expert workshop on redress and
rehabilitation for child victims of torture.
26. The Special Fund established by the Optional Protocol to the Convention against
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment awarded grants
amounting to $240,000 to support torture prevention projects in seven States parties to the
Optional Protocol.
B. Enhancing equality and countering discrimination
1. Discrimination against migrants
27. In response to the large-scale movements of people during the reporting period as
well as the heightened vulnerability of migrants to discrimination, exploitation and
violence, OHCHR enhanced its focus on the rights of migrants and on countering
xenophobia. It sought to integrate a human rights perspective into the global policy
dialogue on migration, including in the context of the high-level plenary meeting of the
General Assembly on addressing large movements of refugees and migrants. As Co-Chair
of the Global Migration Group Working Group on Migration, Human Rights and Gender,
OHCHR led a multi-stakeholder initiative to develop principles and guidelines, supported
by practical guidance, on the human rights of migrants in vulnerable situations.
28. OHCHR assisted in the development of the TOGETHER campaign launched by the
Secretary-General to confront xenophobia against refugees and other migrants.
Furthermore, OHCHR contributed to regional strategies for the protection of migrants in
the European Union, South-East Asia and the Pacific, including through visits by its staff to
Bulgaria, France, Greece, Italy, Libya, Nauru, Papua New Guinea and the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia.
2. Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
29. OHCHR provided support to the Durban follow-up mechanisms, in particular the
Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban
Declaration and Programme of Action, the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of
Complementary Standards and the Working Group of experts on people of African descent.
On the fifteenth anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the
Human Rights Council held a panel discussion on the status of racial discrimination
worldwide, which showed that racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related
intolerance were on the rise. The High Commissioner consistently spoke out against these
trends worldwide throughout the reporting period.
30. OHCHR updated its database on practical measures to combat racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, a publicly available collection of tools
to support national efforts in this area. 3 OHCHR also engaged on these issues with
authorities, including in a regional seminar for judges from 11 Arab States to facilitate an
exchange of experiences in applying principles of non-discrimination.
3. Discrimination on the basis of indigenous or minority status
31. OHCHR supported capacity-building and policy dialogue between indigenous
peoples, Governments and United Nations agencies to enable indigenous peoples to
influence policies and institutions that affect their livelihoods. In the Democratic Republic
of the Congo, OHCHR engaged with parliamentarians to promote the adoption of a law to
protect the rights of indigenous peoples. In Guatemala, OHCHR facilitated discussions on
the constitutional recognition of indigenous customary jurisdiction and supported the
Attorney General’s Office to improve indigenous peoples’ access to justice.
32. Technical advice was provided to the Government of Peru on consultation rights and
extractive industries; to indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation in Ecuador; and to the
Government of Chile on conducting participatory processes with indigenous peoples in line
with international standards. In response to a child malnutrition crisis within Qom and
Wichi communities in northern Argentina, OHCHR partnered with other United Nations
agencies to conduct a human rights-based investigation. OHCHR supported consultations
by the Government of Kenya with the Endorois indigenous group to develop a county
management plan for their ancestral land at Lake Bogoria, and strengthened its cooperation
with the World Bank at the country level.
33. The United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples continued to play a
crucial role in facilitating the participation of indigenous representatives in meetings of
human rights mechanisms, including in the consultation process of the General Assembly.
In collaboration with the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, OHCHR held a
workshop on the protection of the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples on Mindanao
and advised on the anti-discrimination bill pending before parliament.
34. In Serbia, the Government adopted the OHCHR methodology for consulting with
Roma communities in the development of an action plan on Roma inclusion. OHCHR also
worked with the City of Belgrade to amend rules for village housing allocation to enable
better access by Romani. In Iraq, OHCHR supported the Government to develop a national
action plan to protect minority communities. OHCHR also worked with civil society
organizations to develop future strategies to promote minority rights protection in the
Syrian Arab Republic.
35. The minorities and indigenous fellowship programmes brought 41 advocates from
35 indigenous and minority communities to Geneva to learn about the United Nations
human rights machinery and reinforce their international advocacy skills.
4. Gender equality and women’s rights
36. OHCHR deepened its work with legal authorities to enhance women’s access to
justice in Bolivia, Oman, Panama and the United Republic of Tanzania. The Office
provided technical advice on laws related to women’s rights and gender equality in
Cambodia, the Gambia, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Senegal and Tunisia. It also
3 See http://adsdatabase.ohchr.org/SitePages/Anti-discrimination%20database.aspx.
contributed to strengthening capacities to implement legal and policy frameworks on
women’s rights in Afghanistan.
37. Support was given to develop training materials on judicial gender stereotyping (for
the Council of Europe), femicide (an online course), and sexual and reproductive health and
rights (Reflection Guides). The Office also commissioned a study on the role of the
judiciary in addressing gender stereotypes in cases related to sexual and reproductive health
and rights.
38. OHCHR emphasized the use of a human rights-based approach towards
implementing the Sustainable Development Goals related to women’s rights and gender
equality. For example, it supported efforts by the Ministry of Health of Uganda to integrate
human rights principles into a draft multisectoral strategy to reduce preventable maternal
mortality and morbidity.
39. An improved understanding of sexual and reproductive health and rights was
achieved by convening multi-stakeholder meetings in Costa Rica; holding workshops to
build knowledge and skills in Mexico, the Middle East and West Africa; connecting
activists with human rights mechanisms through webinars in Argentina; conveying the
importance of a human rights-based approach in addressing Zika and sexual and
reproductive health in Honduras; and the wide dissemination of the OHCHR information
series on sexual and reproductive health and rights in Arabic, English, French and Spanish.4
40. Building on the work of the Human Rights Council on child, early and forced
marriage, OHCHR convened an expert group meeting in October to discuss the obstacles to
ending these harmful practices. Through the United Nations Assistance Mission in
Afghanistan (UNAMA), OHCHR collaborated with policewomen, departments of women’s
affairs, religious leaders and provincial governors to promote respect for women’s rights
and a common understanding that certain traditional practices are not only harmful but also
contrary to sharia. In West and Central Africa, Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia, OHCHR
worked with national partners to promote increased participation of women in elections and
public affairs.
5. Discrimination on the basis of disability
41. During the thirty-first session of the Human Rights Council, OHCHR supported the
annual debate on the rights of persons with disabilities, which focused on persons with
disabilities in situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies.
42. OHCHR continued to assist Governments to implement the Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In Chile, OHCHR supported a regional seminar on
sexual and reproductive rights for persons with disabilities, drawing upon the concluding
observations of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on the topic. This
event led to the establishment of a governmental working group to develop policy
guidelines to advance the issue. In the Gambia and South Africa, OHCHR assisted the
Government to harmonize national laws with the Convention. In Tunisia, following
continuous advocacy by OHCHR, a law was passed in May improving the framework law
on the promotion and protection of persons with disabilities. In Senegal, OHCHR
strengthened the capacity of a coalition of persons with disabilities to engage with
international human rights mechanisms. In Timor-Leste, OHCHR worked within a joint
United Nations agency programme to empower persons with disabilities to counter
discriminatory attitudes towards them.
4 See www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Women/WRGS/Pages/HealthRights.aspx.
6. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity
43. As part of its work to combat discrimination, the OHCHR-led Free and Equal
campaign continued to promote equal rights and fair treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender and intersex persons globally, reaching millions of people through social and
traditional media and through events in Bhutan, Brazil, Cambodia, Cabo Verde, China, Fiji,
Madagascar, Panama, Peru, Senegal, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste. A micro-campaign
launched in October helped raise awareness of harmful surgery carried out on intersex
children.
44. In November, OHCHR launched the publication Living Free & Equal, which
analyses more than 200 examples of initiatives in 65 countries aimed at protecting
individuals from violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity
and intersex status/sex characteristics. The study includes practical guidance and inspiration
for States on the basis of steps taken by national and local governments, courts,
parliaments, national human rights institutions and others.
45. In Senegal, OHCHR supported a space for dialogue with governmental and non-
governmental actors on the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex
persons. In Cambodia, OHCHR integrated an awareness-raising component on violence
against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons as part of the national 16-
day campaign against gender violence in November. In Argentina, a webinar was held with
civil society organizations on gender and the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender
and intersex persons to strengthen their capacities to report on and document the human
rights violations they face.
C. Combating impunity and strengthening accountability and the rule of
law
1. Transitional justice
46. Ensuring comprehensive, human rights-based and victim-centred transitional justice
processes remained a priority of OHCHR during the reporting period, including in Burundi,
Colombia, El Salvador, Guinea, Mali, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Tunisia. In Burundi, in close
cooperation with the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and
guarantees of non-recurrence, OHCHR strengthened human rights and humanitarian law
skills of the members of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In Guatemala, OHCHR
observed transitional justice cases and accompanied victims of sexual violence during the
armed conflict to the hearing of their cases. Following the annulment by the Supreme Court
of its amnesty law in July, OHCHR was able to initiate support to the transitional justice
programme of the Government of El Salvador. In Nepal, where an amnesty law for serious
human rights violations committed during the armed conflict remains in force, OHCHR
provided technical guidance to the Government and other stakeholders on amendments
needed for the law to comply with international laws and standards.
47. In relation to past or ongoing conflicts in the Central African Republic, Côte
d’Ivoire, Iraq, Kenya, Mali, South Sudan, the Sudan (Darfur) and the Syrian Arab Republic,
OHCHR conducted capacity-building activities for the establishment of appropriate
transitional justice mechanisms, provided technical assistance on proposed laws and
policies and supported public commemorations. OHCHR also continued to support the
Extraordinary African Chambers in the Senegalese Courts and monitored the trial of
Hissène Habré. In Sri Lanka, OHCHR supported national consultations on establishing
credible, effective and comprehensive transitional justice mechanisms, and provided advice
on domestic screening processes and frameworks for the protection of victims and
witnesses.
48. OHCHR advocated for the voices of victims of sexual violence to inform peace and
reconciliation processes and the development of reparation efforts in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, the Sudan (Darfur) and
Tunisia. OHCHR supported the meaningful inclusion of women in peace processes and
reconciliation mechanisms in Afghanistan, Guinea, Libya and Tunisia.
2. Death penalty
49. Following the announcement by a number of countries of their intention to
reintroduce the death penalty, OHCHR stepped up its advocacy on ratification of the
Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
aiming at the abolition of the death penalty. To that end, OHCHR provided technical advice
to the United Nations country teams and/or Governments in Belarus, Botswana, Guatemala,
Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kenya, Malawi, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
OHCHR also continued to promote the rights of individuals facing the death penalty in
States where it is still in use, and launched a publication on the perspectives of victims
towards the death penalty.5
50. In October, OHCHR organized a regional meeting for seven English-speaking
Caribbean States to facilitate discussion on regional challenges to the abolition of the death
penalty. OHCHR also organized an expert forum on steps towards abolition in Kenya and
engaged with the Government of Maldives to urge retention of the long-standing de facto
moratorium on the death penalty.
3. Counter-terrorism and prevention of violent extremism
51. Respect for international human rights law is fundamental to any effort to effectively
counter acts of terrorism and prevent violent extremism that is conducive to acts of
terrorism. In July, the High Commissioner submitted a report on best practices and lessons
learned on how protecting and promoting human rights contribute to preventing and
countering violent extremism (A/HRC/33/29), focusing on community engagement and
empowerment, youth engagement, and preventing and countering violent extremism online.
These messages were an important focus of OHCHR engagement with the Counter-
Terrorism Implementation Task Force.
52. As Co-Chair of the Working Group on Protecting and Promoting Human Rights and
the Rule of Law while Countering Terrorism, OHCHR implemented a capacity-building
project to improve compliance by law enforcement officials with human rights laws and
standards in Iraq, Nigeria and Tunisia. OHCHR engaged in advocacy and capacity-building
on integrating a human rights-based approach to countering terrorism in Iraq, Jordan,
Kenya, Mauritania and Tunisia.
4. Administration of justice and law enforcement
53. OHCHR monitored detention facilities and provided technical advice to
Governments that resulted in improved conditions of detention in Fiji, Senegal, Tunisia,
Vanuatu and Yemen.
54. In Yemen, OHCHR collaborated with other United Nations entities to facilitate the
release of Somali and Ethiopian migrants held without charge. OHCHR also supported the
establishment and strengthening of national preventive mechanisms against torture in
Mauritania, Senegal and Tunisia. It also provided guidance in Mauritius on the
5 Death Penalty and the Victims (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.16.XIV.2). Available from
www.ohchr.org/EN/newyork/Documents/Death-Penalty-and-the-Victims-WEB.pdf.
establishment of an independent police complaints body. In Guatemala, OHCHR worked
with the ombudsman to develop a joint study on pretrial detention.
55. OHCHR provided technical advice and training to law enforcement agencies in Fiji,
Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Sudan (Darfur), Thailand, Timor-
Leste and Tunisia on the integration of human rights standards into their work, and engaged
in advocacy towards accountability for serious human rights violations committed by
security forces in Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya and Nepal.
56. Support to strengthen compliance of judicial processes with international human
rights norms and standards was provided to the Ministry of Justice in Mauritania in relation
to the Special Chambers on Slavery, and to judges and prosecutors from Cambodia, Saudi
Arabia and Tunisia. Through the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization
Mission in the Central African Republic, OHCHR continued to support the re-
establishment of a national justice system that functioned in accordance with human rights
law.
D. Integrating human rights in development and the economic sphere
1. Human rights in development
57. In celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to
Development, OHCHR conducted a series of activities to strengthen the implementation of
the Declaration, including a media campaign, commemorative events and two panels at the
Human Rights Council.
58. As part of its mandate to mainstream human rights in the United Nations system,
OHCHR supported system-wide dialogue on human rights and the Sustainable
Development Goals as well as the development of new guidance on common country
assessments and United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks. OHCHR and the
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women)
co-led system-wide efforts to place combating inequality and discrimination at the heart of
support to Member States in their implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development. In addition, OHCHR led efforts to mainstream human rights into United
Nations Development Assistance Frameworks and national development plans in
Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, the Gambia, Iraq, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Mauritania,
Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, the Republic of Korea, Tunisia, Ukraine,
Uruguay and the State of Palestine.
59. OHCHR engaged with national statisticians in Bangladesh, Chile, Finland, Kenya,
Mauritius, the Republic of Korea and Tunisia to strengthen the integration of human rights
standards into statistical indicators. To that end, the Office published a guidance note to
data collection and disaggregation for measuring achievement of the 2030 Agenda. 6
OHCHR also began developing methodology for compiling indicators on specific
Sustainable Development Goals.
60. The Office made submissions to the social and environmental safeguard review
processes of the Asian Infrastructure Bank, the World Bank and the Dutch Development
Bank, aimed at ensuring that their due diligence and social risk management processes are
consistent with international human rights standards.
6 A Human Rights-Based Approach to Data: Leaving No One Behind in the 2030 Development Agenda.
Available from
www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/HRIndicators/GuidanceNoteonApproachtoData.pdf.
61. In the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,
OHCHR was actively engaged in charting a path forward for rights-based and inclusive
climate action that benefits all people. OHCHR also provided inputs to the Nairobi work
programme on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change, with respect to the
right to health; the Lima Work Programme on Gender; and the Paris Committee on
Capacity-building.
2. Economic, social and cultural rights
62. OHCHR and the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the
right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context
actively contributed to integrating human rights into the United Nations Conference on
Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) and its outcome document.
OHCHR also provided technical advice to Governments on land laws, including in
Cambodia, Kenya, Thailand and Timor-Leste, with a view to integrating human rights
principles. In Cambodia, OHCHR supported indigenous communities in the “indigenous
identity registration” process, enabling them to seek formal recognition of their communal
lands to protect them against encroachment by private enterprises and others.
63. OHCHR continued work on an analytical framework for early warning and
economic, social and cultural rights to improve its capacity to respond promptly to
emerging crises.
64. At the sixty-ninth World Health Assembly, OHCHR and the World Health
Organization established a high-level working group of global champions to generate
support for the implementation of human rights measures under the Global Strategy on
Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (2016-2030). Participating in the forty-third
session of the Committee on World Food Security in October, OHCHR highlighted the
centrality of human rights in achieving the 2030 Agenda and the need to protect the right to
food in the context of urbanization and rural transformation.
65. In Afghanistan, OHCHR joined other United Nations agencies co-publish a three-
year study titled Education and Healthcare at Risk, on how conflict-related violence,
threats and intimidation by all parties to the conflict in that country have harmed health and
education personnel, reduced the availability of health care and limited children’s access to
essential health and education services.
3. Business and human rights
66. OHCHR sought to ensure responsible business involvement in the 2030 Agenda and
provided support for the implementation of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human
Rights: Implementing the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework,
including in Cambodia, Chile, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Uruguay.
The outcomes of the OHCHR Accountability and Remedy Project were presented to the
Human Rights Council at its thirty-second session (A/HRC/32/19 and Corr.1), with
recommendations to enhance State-based judicial mechanisms to ensure legal
accountability in business-related human rights abuses.
67. OHCHR continued to assist the Working Group on the issue of human rights and
transnational corporations and other business enterprises in developing a legally binding
instrument for those companies concerning human rights. Regional seminars attended by
representatives of Member States and the Working Group were held in Asia (Qatar) and
South America (Argentina). In Mexico, OHCHR provided human rights expertise to the
first national business and human rights plan and facilitated input from civil society
organizations and indigenous communities.
68. In the context of rapidly expanding information and communications technology,
OHCHR conducted a full-day meeting during the thirty-first session of the Human Rights
Council to identify strategies to protect children against sexual exploitation and abuse.
69. In November, OHCHR organized the fifth annual Forum on Business and Human
Rights, highlighting the kind of leadership expected from States and businesses to ensure
protection against human rights abuses. The Forum brought together more than 2,000
participants from 140 countries around a three-day programme, including 70 thematic
panels, making it the largest global multi-stakeholder event on business and human rights
ever held.
E. Widening the democratic space
1. Support to civil society, including human rights defenders
70. In October, the Secretary-General announced that the Assistant Secretary-General
for Human Rights would lead the Organization’s efforts to respond to intimidation and
reprisals against those cooperating with the United Nations on human rights. This important
step followed the raising of serious concerns by the Secretary-General in his report on
reprisals (A/HRC/33/19).
71. In his address to the eighth Dublin Platform for human rights defenders, held in
November, the High Commissioner pledged that his Office would support efforts to keep
civil society space open, including through engagement and assistance by OHCHR country
and regional presences to build capacity at the national level and to strengthen the rule of
law, and through increased advocacy.
72. OHCHR strengthened protection programmes for civil society through direct
monitoring of threats and attacks, provision of technical advice on laws and policies and
advocacy, including in Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, Kenya,
Mauritania, Myanmar, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Tunisia, as well as in Central America in
collaboration with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Following support
from OHCHR to the authorities of South Kivu Province, a provincial law on the protection
of human rights defenders was adopted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in
February.
73. With technical support from OHCHR, the independent high authority for
audiovisual communication in Tunisia developed a national barometer for monitoring
incitement to hatred, which OHCHR is replicating in Côte d’Ivoire and Morocco. Ahead of
the presidential elections in the Gambia, OHCHR organized protection training for human
rights defenders. In Thailand, OHCHR continued to support the Ministry of Justice in
establishing a working group on protection of human rights defenders.
74. During the reporting period, OHCHR provided assistance to civil society
organizations to participate in the work of the human rights mechanisms through specific
programmes, including in Bolivia, Honduras, Iraq, Jamaica, Myanmar, the Republic of
Korea, Trinidad and Tobago and Tunisia. The OHCHR practical guide Civil Society Space
and the United Nations Human Rights System was translated into 19 additional languages.
75. The updated Human Rights: A Handbook for Parliamentarians, originally published
in 2005 in acknowledgement of the key role of parliamentarians in the protection of human
rights and democracy, was reissued by OHCHR and the Inter-Parliamentary Union in
October. OHCHR strengthened the role of parliamentarians in Chile and Uruguay to follow
up on recommendations of the United Nations human rights mechanisms. OHCHR also
worked jointly with UN-Women and the Economic Community of West African States to
facilitate increased participation by women in elections held in 14 countries in West and
Central Africa.
76. Pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 28/14, in November, OHCHR
organized the first United Nations Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of
Law, which focused on challenges and opportunities for youth in public decision-making.
The Forum made recommendations to be presented to the Human Rights Council in 2017
for further action, including on creating an environment conducive to youth participation
and increasing youth involvement in policies to prevent violent extremism and in post-
conflict situations.
2. Support to national human rights institutions
77. During the period under review, OHCHR conducted capacity-building activities for
some 50 national human rights institutions worldwide, including in Burundi, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, Iraq, Mozambique, Niger, Samoa, Saudi
Arabia, the Sudan, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. Regional activities were also held with the
Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions and the West African States of the
Network of African National Human Rights Institutions.
78. OHCHR also continued to serve as the secretariat of the Global Alliance of National
Human Rights Institutions and its Subcommittee on Accreditation, which reviewed over 30
institutions during the reporting period. In Botswana, the Central African Republic, the
Gambia, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, the Sudan (Darfur), Tajikistan,
Togo and Tunisia, OHCHR supported the establishment or restructuring of national
institutions in accordance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions
for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles). In October,
following extensive engagement with OHCHR over several years, the Parliament of
Lebanon adopted a law on the establishment of national institutions.
3. Human rights education and training
79. OHCHR continued to support the implementation of the World Programme for
Human Rights Education by strengthening the capacity of national and international actors
on human rights education and training. In September, OHCHR organized a high-level
panel during the thirty-third session of the Human Rights Council that highlighted the role
of human rights education in addressing discrimination and violent extremism and in
achieving the 2030 Agenda.
80. With OHCHR support, Laikipia University in Kenya introduced a compulsory
human rights course for all undergraduates and has trained over 2,000 students to date. In
Senegal, OHCHR hosted a summer human rights programme including short films, student
clubs and debates to raise awareness on human rights among thousands of young people
and encourage them to be involved with development issues. In Bolivia, OHCHR supported
the creation of a specialized and permanent curriculum on gender-based violence in the
school of judges in Sucre. In the Russian Federation, nine human rights master’s degree
programmes were established in five regions, together with a website with e-learning tools
to ensure widespread access.
F. Early warning and protection of human rights in situations of conflict,
violence and insecurity
1. Human rights, peace and security
81. OHCHR made concerted efforts to integrate the principles of human rights
protection into United Nations efforts towards peace and security. During the reporting
period, OHCHR technical and field expertise informed several briefings to the Security
Council. OHCHR also continued to work closely with the Department of Peacekeeping
Operations and the Department of Political Affairs to ensure that human rights were a
central focus for peace operations. To that end, OHCHR collaborated on the design of
predeployment human rights training for police and military personnel designated for
peacekeeping missions and contributed to predeployment human rights screening of
proposed military personnel under the human rights screening policy.
82. In the Central African Republic, Mali and Somalia, OHCHR worked closely with
the two departments on consolidating protection functions to enhance the promotion and
protection of all human rights, with a particular focus on conflict-related sexual violence
and grave violations against children. In Burundi, OHCHR ensured that the African Union
human rights observers had the required skills to carry out their mandate. In Sri Lanka,
OHCHR advised the Government on the establishment of a domestic screening process for
personnel identified for deployment to United Nations peacekeeping operations.
83. Securing coordinated and increased protection of civilians in conflicts remained a
priority for OHCHR. In addition to monitoring and reporting on civilian casualties, the
Human Rights Unit of UNAMA continued to provide technical input to the Government on
civilian casualty mitigation. The Human Rights Office of the United Nations Assistance
Mission for Iraq continued to advocate with the Government on protection of civilians and
standards for military conduct. Responding to the ongoing conflict in Yemen, OHCHR
deployed human rights field monitors to support comprehensive monitoring and
documentation of civilian casualties, targeting of civilian infrastructure, use of child
soldiers and other human rights violations. The human rights monitoring mission in
Ukraine produced four quarterly reports documenting civilian casualties and violations and
abuses against civilians, as well as a specific report on accountability for killings.
84. OHCHR continued to provide advice to United Nations missions and country teams
on the implementation of the human rights due diligence policy in the Central African
Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Nepal, Pakistan, South Sudan,
the Sudan (Darfur) and Somalia.
2. Emergency response and early warning
85. During the reporting period, the contingency fund and the internal rapid deployment
roster were used to deploy teams to the State of Palestine, to support the OHCHR office in
the framework of an upsurge of violence; to the Congo, to monitor human rights in the
context of political instability; to support OHCHR migration monitoring missions in several
countries of Europe; and to the Gambia, to monitor human rights in the context of the
presidential elections. OHCHR also employed its emergency capacity for remote
monitoring in Turkey as deployment to the country was not possible.
86. In the context of the Human Rights Up Front initiative, OHCHR began development
of a common United Nations information management system for recording violations and
threats to populations, with the support of the Deputy Secretary-General.
3. Sexual and gender-based violence, trafficking and related exploitation
87. The Office continued to promote a human rights-based approach to addressing
trafficking in persons at the national and international levels. To that end, OHCHR
provided technical and capacity-building to States and civil society, including within the
framework of the Sustainable Development Goals and as the Chair of the Inter-Agency
Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons. In partnership with the United Nations
Disarmament Commission, OHCHR increased skills among national human rights
institutions in the Arab region to combat trafficking.
88. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 10 legal clinics supported by OHCHR
provided legal advice to 249 victims of sexual violence and judicial assistance to 153
victims. Further support provided to judicial authorities led to the conviction of 22
perpetrators of sexual violence. As co-lead of the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and
Sexual Violence in Conflict, OHCHR continued to provide technical assistance to national
authorities, including in Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
and Guinea, to fight impunity for conflict-related sexual violence.
89. In the Syrian Arab Republic, OHCHR continued to focus on strengthening the skills
of civil society to monitor and document sexual and gender-based violence. In collaboration
with UNAMA, OHCHR facilitated national discussions with women peace activists on
violent extremism and conducted monitoring, documentation and advocacy on violence
against women. In Bolivia, OHCHR provided technical assistance for implementing the law
on violence against women, including designing a comprehensive prevention system in
collaboration with the vice-ministry of equal opportunities. In Argentina, Bolivia and
Panama, OHCHR provided capacity-building support to State institutions for the national
adoption and use of international human rights laws and standards in the investigation of
gender-related killings of women.
90. Responding to cases of sexual violence and exploitation by United Nations staff and
international peacekeepers, OHCHR advocated for the centrality of human rights to ensure
a focus on protection, support to victims, accountability and the underlying factors that
expose victims to sexual exploitation, including poverty, inequality, discrimination and a
lack of legal remedy. OHCHR actively engaged in following up on recommendations of the
Independent Review on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by International Peacekeeping
Forces in the Central African Republic. 7 OHCHR advised the Special Coordinator on
Improving the United Nations Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse on legal issues
arising from the recommendations and co-led a mapping of existing policies,
responsibilities and responses to information sharing and handling of allegations.
4. Humanitarian action
91. OHCHR continued to advocate for the protection of the rights of persons affected by
humanitarian crises — complex emergencies, disasters and pandemics — to be at the centre
of preparedness and response. These were among the key messages communicated by
OHCHR at the World Humanitarian Summit.
92. In the spirit of the Human Rights Up Front plan of action, OHCHR actively engaged
in United Nations efforts to prevent and respond to violations and ensure respect for
international human rights and humanitarian law in crisis settings. Human rights
considerations were increasingly brought to the centre of Inter-Agency Standing Committee
meetings and a Standing Committee policy on protection, co-developed by OHCHR, was
endorsed during the reporting period.
7 “Taking action on sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers”, 17 December 2015.
93. At the country level, OHCHR continued to integrate human rights into the overall
efforts of protection clusters, humanitarian country teams and humanitarian coordinators.
The Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights participated in the annual humanitarian
coordinators retreat, and OHCHR maintained deployment of three staff members to advise
the regional and country-level humanitarian leadership in relation to the crisis in the Syrian
Arab Republic. OHCHR is a member of the humanitarian country team in Ukraine;
continued to lead the protection cluster in the State of Palestine; and participated in the
work of protection clusters or working groups in El Salvador, Haiti, Iraq, Myanmar,
Panama, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, Ukraine and Yemen, as well as in the Pacific
region. The Office also provided support to national partners in the context of humanitarian
action, for example the Direction de la protection civile in Haiti, and promoted the
involvement of human rights defenders in humanitarian action. During the reporting period,
the Central Emergency Response Fund supported OHCHR engagement in Burundi.
III. Management and administration
94. The High Commissioner’s organizational change initiative, detailed in the report of
the Secretary-General on the proposed regional restructuring of OHCHR (A/71/218 and
Corr.1), aims at improving the effectiveness and efficiency with which OHCHR carries out
the mandate contained in General Assembly resolution 48/141 and in implementing
programme 20 (Human rights) of the biennial programme plan. The initiative would bring
OHCHR closer to Member States and other regional and national stakeholders by
strengthening six existing OHCHR regional offices and establishing two new regional
offices, one for Eastern Europe and Central Asia and another for North America and the
English-speaking Caribbean. A number of functions currently performed at headquarters
will move to the regional level.
95. Following discussions at its seventy-first session, the General Assembly has
deferred consideration of the report on the proposed regional restructuring of OHCHR to
the main part of its seventy-second session. If approved, the initiative will be implemented
within existing resources, as changes will be funded by savings from the move of posts and
related resources, both regular budget and extrabudgetary, to lower-cost duty stations.
Additional savings from salaries and travel will be reallocated to further increase technical
cooperation activities.
IV. Conclusions
96. Confronted by chronic and emerging challenges, the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights and his Office have reinforced the fundamental role
of human rights at the core of responses to global crises. During the reporting period,
OHCHR worked towards building common approaches grounded in international
human rights principles with partners at all levels, to ensure sustainable protection
for rights holders worldwide, including in the contexts of conflict, migration and
development. As noted in the present report and previous reports of the High
Commissioner to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly, OHCHR
requires adequate resources to fulfil its mandate as well as the expectations of
Member States and other stakeholders.
97. Important milestones were celebrated during the reporting period, including
the fiftieth anniversary of the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights
and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the tenth anniversary of the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; the thirtieth anniversary of the
Declaration on the Right to Development; and the tenth anniversary of the Human
Rights Council. These milestones symbolize the lasting and ever-increasing value of
international human rights law and standards anchored in the principle of human
dignity. Nevertheless, large parts of these instruments await full acceptance and
implementation by all States.
98. It is encouraging that structures to protect and promote human rights at the
national level have generally improved. Many Member States have established
national mechanisms for comprehensive reporting and follow-up to the
recommendations of the international human rights mechanisms and have worked
with United Nations country teams to better align their development assistance plans
to human rights principles. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a
new, multidisciplinary framework to pull the most vulnerable out of poverty and
create greater well-being. Implementing the 2030 Agenda through a human rights-
based approach is essential to fully realize these goals. It will require sustained
cooperation between Member States and other international partners to effectively
ensure that no one is left behind.
99. In the commitments made at the World Humanitarian Summit and the high-
level plenary meeting of the General Assembly on addressing large movements of
refugees and migrants, States recognized the centrality of human rights to the many
challenges facing the world today. It is fundamental to build upon this positive
momentum to ensure that the promises of these initiatives are fulfilled and that
national and international responses to crises result in greater human rights
protection for all.