.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
||
- Extending human rights activities by reorganizing and restructuring the human rights secretariat and the integration of human rights into all principal United Nations activities and programmes.
[...]
II. INITIATING CHANGE
A. A new leadership and management structure
[...]
28. In January 1997, the Secretary-General took the first steps by reorganizing the Secretariat's work programme around the five areas that comprise the core missions of the United Nations: peace and security; economic and social affairs; development cooperation; humanitarian affairs; and human rights. This process involved all United Nations departments, programmes and funds. Subsequently, Executive Committees were established in the first four areas, while human rights was designated as cutting across, and therefore participating in, each of the other four. All United Nations entities were assigned to one or more core group.
[...]
B. Core activities
Human rights
78. Human rights are integral to the promotion of peace and security, economic prosperity and social equity. For its entire life as a world organization, the United Nations has been actively promoting and protecting human rights, devising instruments to monitor compliance with international agreements, while at the same time remaining cognizant of national and cultural diversities. Accordingly, the issue of human rights has been designated as cutting across each of the four substantive fields of the Secretariat's work programme (peace and security; economic and social affairs; development cooperation; and humanitarian affairs).
79. A major task for the United Nations, therefore, is to enhance its human rights programme and fully integrate it into the broad range of the Organization's activities. Several significant changes have already been implemented. In addition, the Secretary-General is consolidating the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Centre for Human Rights, into a single Office of the High Commissioner. The new High Commissioner for Human Rights will, therefore, have a solid institutional basis from which to lead the Organization's mission in the domain of human rights.
[...]
V. FOCUSING ON SUBSTANTIVE PRIORITIES
[...]
V. FOCUSING ON SUBSTANTIVE PRIORITIES
A. Post-conflict peace-building
120. In recent years, post-conflict peace-building has assumed new prominence in the work of the United Nations. The concept of post-conflict peace-building refers to the various concurrent and integrated actions undertaken at the end of a conflict to consolidate peace and prevent a recurrence of armed confrontation. Peace-building may involve the creation or strengthening of national institutions; the monitoring of elections; the promotion of human rights; the provision of reintegration and rehabilitation programmes; and the creation of conditions for resumed development. Peace-building does not replace ongoing humanitarian and development activities in countries emerging from crises. Rather it aims to build on them and introduce further activities or reorientation of existing ones which, in addition to their intrinsic humanitarian or development value, are politically relevant because they reduce the risk of a resumption of conflict and contribute to creating conditions most conducive to reconciliation, reconstruction and recovery. The multidimensional nature of such an enterprise demands effective coordination measures.
121. As focal point and convenor of the Executive Committee on Peace and Security, the Department of Political Affairs will work particularly closely with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank, bearing in mind in particular the importance of determining the point at which the emphasis on a peace-building role will give way to full-fledged reconstruction and development activities. Task forces will continue to be established to ensure integrated action by the entire United Nations system, the chairmanship being decided on each occasion on a pragmatic basis. The focal point will support and reinforce the work of these task forces.
Action 5: With immediate effect, the Department of Political Affairs, in its capacity as current convenor of the Executive Committee on Peace and Security, will be the focal point within the United Nations for post-conflict peace-building. The Executive Committee on Peace and Security, in collaboration with other executive committees as appropriate, will be responsible for the design and implementation of post-conflict peace-building initiatives, including the definition of objectives, criteria and operational guidelines for post-conflict peace-building by the organizations of the United Nations system.
[...]
B. Economic and social affairs
[...]
Reform of the subsidiary bodies
Recommendations:
[...]
(f) That the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights report to the Economic and Social Council through the Commission on Human Rights.
E. Humanitarian affairs
[...]
Role of the Emergency Relief Coordinator, the Office of the Emergency Relief Coordinator, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee and the consolidated appeal process
186. In accordance with the provisions of General Assembly resolution 46/182, the Emergency Relief Coordinator's functions will be more focused on three core functions, which will be significantly strengthened: (a) policy development and coordination functions in support of the Secretary-General, ensuring that all humanitarian issues, including those which fall between gaps in existing mandates of agencies such as protection and assistance for internally displaced persons, are addressed. In this connection, it is also important that adequate liaison is effected with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Department of Political Affairs, the United Nations Development Group and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights; (b) advocacy of humanitarian issues with political organs, notably the Security Council; and (c) coordination of humanitarian emergency response, by ensuring that an appropriate response mechanism is established, through IASC consultations, on the ground.
[...]
F. Human rights
194. Developments in the present decade have underscored that human rights are inherent to the promotion of peace, security, economic prosperity and social equity. Governments increasingly recognize that respect for human rights, including the rights of women, is a precondition for political stability and socio-economic progress. In keeping with this realization, the World Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna in 1993 underlined that "all human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated".
195. As a result of these developments, the mandate of the United Nations has evolved considerably, as reflected in the priorities set by the Vienna Conference and the growing demands for a human rights presence in United Nations field operations. Following a recommendation of the Conference, the General Assembly, in its resolution 48/141 of 20 December 1993, created the post of High Commissioner for Human Rights and assigned to the High Commissioner principal responsibilities for United Nations human rights activities under the direction and authority of the Secretary-General. The Centre for Human Rights, the main entity of the Secretariat in this field, was placed under the High Commissioner's overall supervision.
196. By virtue of its worldwide membership, the Organization provides a unique institutional framework to promote human rights and to develop the legal, monitoring and operational instruments that can better uphold their universal character while maintaining a full understanding of, and respect for, the broad range of national and cultural diversities. A major task for the future will be to enhance the human rights programme and integrate it into the broad range of the Organization's activities, including in the development and humanitarian areas.
Restructuring and consolidation of the human rights programme
197. The increasing demands on the United Nations human rights programme and the need to undertake responsibilities for which it had no previous experience revealed a number of shortcomings that reduced its impact at a time of increasing demands. The programme has since been the object of careful review by the Office of Internal Oversight Services and a private consulting firm. Following their recommendations, a major reorganization has been implemented. The streamlined structure now in place reflects the priorities of the work programme and is focused on three areas of activity: (a) information, analysis and policy development; (b) support to human rights bodies and organs; and (c) actions for the promotion and protection of human rights.
198. The General Assembly charged the High Commissioner with the task of carrying out the "overall supervision of the Centre for Human Rights". In order to relieve the High Commissioner of day-to-day management responsibilities, the Office of the High Commissioner and the Centre were maintained as two separate structures. Past experience, however, has shown that inadequate coordination and complementarity between the two entities hindered performance, diminished the impact of human rights activities and resulted in a lack of appropriate coordination of related activities throughout the Organization.
Action 14: The reorganization of the human rights secretariat is to be fully implemented. Under the new High Commissioner for Human Rights, both offices will be consolidated in a single unit, to be called the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Deputy High Commissioner will assist and provide management support to the High Commissioner and manage the Office in her absence.
Coordination with other United Nations programmes
199. The connection between human rights and peace and security is laid out in the Charter and has been amply confirmed by recent experience. An analysis of developments and trends in the area of human rights should be incorporated in the early warning activities of the organization; human rights are a key element in peacemaking and peace-building efforts and should be addressed in the context of humanitarian operations. The capacity of the Office of the High Commissioner to provide support in this regard is one of the objectives of the current reorganization.
200. The provision of technical assistance has been on the rise. Advisory services financed through the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation are given to Governments that so request to develop national capacities, institutions and structures including advocacy, information, education and training of law enforcement officials, judges, immigration officers and peacekeepers. Other entities of the Organization also provide technical cooperation in areas that have a bearing on human rights, such as the promotion of democratic governance, strengthening of the rule of law, reform of the judiciary, training of police forces and programmes that touch on the Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and on the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Better coordination among the entities concerned would enhance the impact of these activities and reduce their overall cost. The Office of the High Commissioner should be able to provide its advice for the design of technical assistance projects and participate in needs assessments missions.
201. The human rights programme is represented in the work of the Executive Committees on Peace and Security, Economic and Social Affairs, Development Operations and Humanitarian Affairs. There is room for further integration by ensuring that contacts are held in a regular way, rather than on an ad hoc basis, and strengthening the representation of the Office of the High Commissioner at Headquarters.
Action 15:
(a) The Office of the High Commissioner will assess the work carried out on human rights issues in the Executive Committees and will regularly participate in every stage of the Organization's activities in relation to actual or potential conflicts or post-conflict situations that have a human rights dimension.
(b) The High Commissioner will undertake an analysis of the technical assistance provided by the United Nations entities in areas related to human rights and formulate proposals for improving complementarity of action.
(c) The representation of the High Commissioner's office at Headquarters will be upgraded and strengthened.
Support for intergovernmental processes, monitoring bodies and special procedures
202. The intergovernmental machinery includes the Commission on Human Rights, which reports to the Economic and Social Council, which in turn reports to the General Assembly, and its Subcommission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities. In addition to these legislative bodies, there are six committees that receive reports from States parties to the corresponding human rights covenants and conventions. Furthermore, the Commission on Human Rights has established a growing number of special procedures that include special rapporteurs, representatives, experts and working groups. There have been more than 30 such instrumentalities in the past two years.
203. The need to harmonize and rationalize the work carried out under the treaty bodies and the human rights mechanisms and procedures was underlined in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. Meetings among the persons chairing the treaty bodies have been held periodically during the past years. Since 1994, meetings have also been held among the special rapporteurs, representatives, experts and chairpersons of the working groups. These practices have improved information-sharing among the concerned mechanisms; there is room for further streamlining of their work by facilitating coordination through the timing and venue of their meetings.
204. The existing bodies and mechanisms constitute a large and increasingly intricate network. While to a large extent their work has a cumulative effect, there is a risk of dispersion and lack of consistency that may affect their impact. A careful review is called for to rationalize the system.
205. The complexity of the human rights machinery and the subsequent burden of reporting obligations have strained the resources of the Secretariat. Weaknesses in the servicing units have limited their capacity to contribute to the rationalization and effectiveness of the work carried out by the machinery they serve. One of the main purposes of the restructuring of the human rights programme is to enhance the capacity of the servicing units.
206. Efforts to streamline the agenda of the Commission on Human Rights have produced valuable proposals. Progress has been made through the biennialization of items under consideration. While proposals for streamlining the agenda have so far failed to obtain the required support, they constitute a useful precedent for future discussions on this matter.
Action 16:
(a) The Secretary-General will ask the High Commissioner for Human Rights to review the human rights machinery and develop recommendations on possible ways to streamline and rationalize it.
(b) Actions under way in the context of the restructuring of the human rights programme to strengthen and coordinate the substantive and technical support to the legislative bodies, monitoring committees and special procedures will be given the highest priority. The establishment of common data banks of information, research and analysis to assist these bodies will be accelerated.
[...]
VII. PREPARED FOR A CHANGING WORLD
274. Enhanced leadership and strategic management in the United Nations: As a result of these actions and recommendations, the Secretariat will have a leadership structure and work programme with four main sectors reflecting the Organization's primary strategic areas: peace and security; economic and social affairs; development cooperation; humanitarian affairs, with human rights as a cross-cutting issue. The Senior Management Group and the executive committees for each sector will promote greater coherence among the United Nations departments, programmes and funds and provide a framework for reform. The proposed appointment of a Deputy Secretary-General will enhance the ability of the Secretary-General to manage such challenges as cross-functional sectors and complex emergencies. The recommendation that the General Assembly might periodically adopt a focus for its work is aimed at enhancing its role in setting strategic directions and priorities for the United Nations.
[...]
Click here for the complete text of the document (link to the website of the UN Headquarters in New York)
|
||||
|
||||
 |
SITE MAP | SEARCH | INDEX | DOCUMENTS | TREATIES | MEETINGS | NEWS ROOM | HOME |  |
||
|
||||