OHCHR’S APPROACH TO FIELD WORK OHCHR’s approach to field work Background obstacles to the realization of human rights. Through its programmes in the field, OHCHR The work of human rights field presences on the likewise seeks to ensure that national authorities protection and promotion of human rights is carried and civil society actors have the capacity to out with support from OHCHR headquarters, in address human rights concerns and are better cooperation with UN partners in the field, informed about international human rights Government actors, regional organizations, civil standards and how to translate these into laws, society and national human rights institutions regulations and policies, ensuring that (NHRIs). In keeping with the coherence agenda of rights-holders are better protected and the UN, OHCHR provides senior United Nations empowered. In particular, OHCHR supports efforts officials of other entities with strategic advice to establish or strengthen justice and regarding human rights matters when they engage accountability mechanisms at national level, with particular Member States and regional including better monitoring and investigation and organizations. redress of violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. Based on dialogue with national counterparts, the Office’s activities at country level (through In 2011, OHCHR established, in agreement with the headquarters or field presences) aim at preventing Government, a Country Office in Tunisia and was and reducing human rights violations. This occurs laying the foundations for a Regional Office for mainly through strengthening national protection North Africa. OHCHR also deployed Human Rights systems, ensuring that Government authorities are Officers within the United Nations Support Mission aware of their human rights obligations, and in Libya (UNSMIL). At the end of 2011, OHCHR was designing effective remedies to overcome running or supporting 58 field presences. © OHCHR/Rajesh Gurung OHCHR REPORT 2011 205 OHCHR’S APPROACH TO FIELD WORK Types of field presences and thematic issues. In addition to the regional offices, OHCHR has regional centres that are established in accordance with General Assembly OHCHR field presences fall into two categories: resolutions and imbued with a specific mandate. stand-alone presences and collaborative arrangements. Regional offices and centres are funded by both the The first category comprises those offices, namely UN regular budget and voluntary contributions. country, stand-alone and regional offices, under the direct supervision of OHCHR. The second category OHCHR has 12 regional presences comprised of: comprises field presences with double reporting lines, 10 regional offices in East Africa (Addis Ababa), namely, human rights components of peace or political Southern Africa (Pretoria), West Africa (Dakar), missions who report to the Head of the mission and South-East Asia (Bangkok), the Pacific (Suva), the the High Commissioner and human rights advisers Middle East (Beirut), Central Asia (Bishkek), Europe (HRAs) in United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs) who (Brussels), Central America (Panama City) and South report to the UN Resident Coordinator and the High America (Santiago de Chile); a subregional centre for Commissioner.ThedecisiontoestablishanOHCHR human rights and democracy for Central Africa country, stand-alone or regional presence is made with (Yaoundé); and a Training and Documentation the concerned Government, taking into account the Centre for South-West Asia and the Arab Region overall human rights situation, security considerations, (Doha). A regional office for North Africa is expected the presence and role of other international actors on to be located in Cairo. Pending a final decision by the ground, as well as available human and financial the Egyptian authorities, regional activities are resources, administrative arrangements and the scope temporarily being conducted from Tunisia. of activities to be undertaken. Human rights components of United Nations Country and stand-alone Offices Peace and Political Missions OHCHR country and stand-alone offices are established OHCHR supports human rights components of on the basis of a standard agreement between OHCHR peacekeeping and political missions by providing and the host Government. A mandate typically includes expert advice, technical assistance and functional human rights monitoring, protection, technical support on human rights issues. The Head of a cooperation activities and public reporting and is human rights component in a peace or political tailored to a specific country situation. These offices are mission is the representative of the High primarily funded through voluntary contributions. Commissioner for Human Rights in the mission country and has a dual reporting line: one to the OHCHR has 13 country or stand-alone offices, Head of the peace mission and one to the High namely, 11 country offices in Bolivia, Cambodia, Commissioner. Based on Security Council Colombia, Guatemala, Guinea, Mauritania, Mexico, resolutions, human rights components of peace Nepal, Togo, Tunisia and Uganda and two missions typically focus on: stand-alone offices in Kosovo and the Occupied u Observing, investigating, documenting and Palestinian Territory. The mandate of the Office in reporting on the human rights situation; Nepal was not renewed by the Government of Nepal u Ensuring that peace processes promote justice at the end of 2011 and the Office will therefore draw and equity; down its operations in early 2012. u Preventing and redressing violations of human rights, with a focus on the protection of civilians Regional Offices and Centres and transitional justice; u Building human rights capacities and institutions; Regional offices are similarly established on the basis and of an agreement with the host Government and in u Mainstreaming human rights into all UN consultation with other countries in the region. These programmes and activities. offices focus on cross-cutting regional human rights concerns and play an important role in supporting Most human rights staff in peace missions are Governments in their engagement with the UN contracted by the Department of Field Support human rights mechanisms (treaty bodies, special which services peacekeeping and special political procedures and Universal Periodic Review (UPR)). operations. OHCHR provides guidance and technical They work closely with regional and subregional advice to the human rights components, and intergovernmental organizations and with civil society. contributes to some technical cooperation activities Regional offices complement the expertise of OHCHR through its voluntary contributions. The Office also country offices by providing support on institutional participates in interdepartmental technical 206 OHCHR REPORT 2011 OHCHR’S APPROACH TO FIELD WORK assessment missions for the design, establishment three Branches to allow a more thorough coverage and reconfiguration of peace operations. of geographic regions: the Americas, Europe and Central Asia Branch; the Asia-Pacific and Middle Fifteen UN peace missions incorporate human rights East Branch; and the Africa Branch. The Peace promotion and protection into their mandated work, Mission Support and Rapid Response Section, the namely in: Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African National Institutions and Regional Mechanisms Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Section and the Field Operations and Technical the Congo (DRC), Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Iraq, Liberia, Cooperation Division (FOTCD) Universal Periodic Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan Review Team reinforce headquarters’ support to (Darfur) and Timor-Leste. the field and other UN partners on the ground. Internal coordination for country-based initiatives, Human Rights Advisers in United Nations including with the treaty bodies, special procedures, the Human Rights Council, the UPR Country Teams and thematic areas, has been further strengthened. Human rights advisers are deployed at the request of UN Resident Coordinators on behalf of the UNCTs. Advisers assist the Resident Coordinators, Heads of Cooperation with Humanitarian UN agencies, and members of UNCTs to integrate Agencies human rights in their programming strategies and implementation and build and strengthen national human rights capacities. Other functions include: At global level, OHCHR integrates human rights u Advising and providing training to independent considerations and advocates for the adoption of a national human rights institutions; human rights-based approach (HRBA) into the u Advising duty-bearers on how to promote UN strategies and policies of humanitarian initiatives normative values; through its engagement in a number of u Building networks with, and providing practical inter-agency mechanisms. These include the support to, civil society actors; and Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and other u Providing operational support to human rights humanitarian processes, such as the IASC training and/or national capacity-building activities. Sub-Working Group on Preparedness and Contingency Planning, the Executive Committee Human rights advisers are normally funded through for Humanitarian Affairs, the Global Protection extrabudgetary contributions. In some instances, Cluster Working Group, the Humanitarian cost-sharing agreements have been concluded with Coordinators Group and the Protection Capacity UNDP and in other cases, these posts have been Steering Committee