Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
1. Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, has the governing body of your organization taken (or will it take) any decisions or new strategies to guide the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs? If any, please provide a brief summary below, including the overarching vision of your organization.
With the 2030 Agenda unequivocally anchored in human rights, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has defined as one of its priority areas ensuring that the 17 SDGs are implemented in a manner that is consistent with international human rights standards. This entails supporting, advocating and building capacity for SDG implementation at all levels that is: (i) aligned with international human rights standards, (ii) ensures that implementing the principle of leaving no one behind contributes to reducing inequalities and fighting discrimination, (iii) creates SDG accountability frameworks that are inclusive and take account of recommendations from international and regional human rights mechanisms, (iv) integrates human rights standards in all aspects of international cooperation (including AAAA, PPP, trade, finance and investment regimes, and other partnerships).
While human rights are a cross-cutting issue along all 17 SDGs and OHCHR is supporting their implementation in a manner that is consistent with all human rights and aims at ensuring a balanced approach to human rights, environment, peace and development, more emphasis is generally placed on SDG 5, SDG 10, SDG 16, and SDG 17.
Further information is available from: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/MDG/Pages/The2030Agenda.aspx
2.1 SDG-specific strategies, plans or work programmes
Within OHCHR, dedicated sections of the organization focus on sustainable development and on the right to development, while the work of the whole office, including its strategic planning, is closely linked with promoting human rights-based SDG implementation, which features prominently in OHCHR work at headquarters and in the field.
OHCHR contributes to follow up to the 2030 Agenda through its mainstreaming work at the UN inter-agency level, as well as through preparing substantive inputs to the HLPF discussions, strengthening capacity of Member States and other stakeholders (including UNCTs) on the voluntary national reviews, and awareness raising on linkages between SDGs and human rights (including at the HLPF). Strategic interventions include advocacy for integrating human rights in SDG implementation and monitoring processes in inter-governmental fora (including the HLPF and QCPR), and supporting system-wide work on equality and non-discrimination in the operationalization of the LNOB principle.
2.3 Readjusting or updating results-based budgeting and management, including performance indicators:
OHCHR Management Plan 2018-2021 links office-wide thematic results with the implementation of the SDGs and will allow the Office to follow progress in this regard.
2.4 Action to enhance support to the principle of "leaving no one behind" and to integrated policy approaches:
OHCHR co-led the initiative under the HLCP and the CEB on putting equality and non-discrimination at the heart of the UN's support to SDG implementation of 'leaving no one behind' that led to the CEB Shared UN System Framework for Action on Leaving No One Behind and is currently part of the interagency drafting group operationalizing this framework under the UNDG as a Guide on 'Leaving No One Behind' for RC/UNCT that integrates human rights.
Furthermore, the Office has been providing capacity building on human rights-based approach to data as a way of identifying who is being left behind, supporting and strengthening work of national statistical systems and facilitating human rights-based data partnerships, and works on integrating a human rights-based approach - including LNOB principle - in development programming by the UN and other stakeholders (governments and national institutions, civil society etc.). Facilitating the latter, OHCHR has, as of 31 December 2017, deployed 17 Human Rights Advisors who assist the UNRCs and the UNCTs to integrate human rights in their programming strategies and on its implementation as well as to build and strengthen national human rights capacities.
3.1 Mainstreaming the SDGs in development plans and policies or through national sustainable development plans/strategies:
OHCHR has contributed to strengthening UN support to SDG implementation at the country level, including by developing communities of practice and assisting in identifying and leveraging synergies between the implementation and monitoring of the SDGs and implementation and follow up to human rights recommendations (LAC and MENA regional meetings took place in 2017, bringing together over 20 UN Resident Coordinators). OHCHR is further supporting human rights-based implementation of the SDGs in various countries where it has a field presence or is represented through a Human Rights Advisor (see 2d above). Further assistance is provided from HQ as well, through capacity-building as well as publications such as Realizing human rights through government budgets.
Specifically related to national policy work, OHCHR is currently supporting the UN Human Rights Council's Advisory Committee work on the Study with regard to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through integrating human rights into national policies pursuant to resolution A/HRC/35/32 National Policies and Human Rights. Finally, OHCHR has also been mandated, through the UN Human Rights Council's resolution A/HRC/RES/36/28, to prepare a report on human rights technical assistance and capacity-building supporting States in the realization of the 2030 Agenda, highlighting inter alia practical steps and concrete examples that seek to promote policy synergy and coherence.
3.3 Data and statistical capacity building:
As the custodian agency of four indicators under SDG Goal 10 (Reduce inequality within and among countries) and Goal 16 (Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels), OHCHR developed methodologies for compiling data on:
- existence of independent National Human Rights Institutions;
- killing and other forms of violence against journalists/media personnel, trade unionists, and human rights advocates;
- number of conflict-related deaths;
- prevalence of discrimination based on prohibited grounds of discrimination under the international human rights law.
To validate related methodological approaches, the UN Human Rights Office consulted national statistical offices, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations, UN and other international organizations.
Advocating for a human rights-based approach to data in support of developing a human-rights sensitive SDG indicators framework, the UN Human Rights Office worked to strengthen the collaboration between the human rights and statistical communities in Colombia, Kenya, Palestine, Philippines, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Finally, the Office assisted National Human Rights Institutions and National Statistical Offices worldwide in finding ways to formalize knowledge-sharing and collaborate on data collection, dissemination and analysis aimed at evidence-based follow up and reporting, strengthening accountability mechanisms ensuring SDG commitments are met. The UN Human Rights Office designed a standard model of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as a tool to fortify collaborative working relationships between these institutions. In 2017, Kenya was the first country that signed such an MoU between the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and the Kenyan National Human Rights Commission.
3.6 Sub-national plans/strategies and implementation for the SDGs:
OHCHR field presences are involved in building the capacity of various stakeholders on SDG-implementation strategies that identify and build on linkages with human rights (directly or as part of joint UNCT efforts), including at the sub-national level.
3.7 Leveraging interlinkages across SDG goals and targets:
As the 2030 Agenda is strongly anchored in international human rights norms and standards, OHCHR is placing emphasis on work with various stakeholders on identifying and leveraging synergies in the implementation and monitoring of the SDGs and human rights.
4.2 Contributing to policy/background briefs for the HLPF:
OHCHR consistently contributes to the preparation of briefs for the HLPF.
4.4 Organizing side evens or speaking at the HLPF:
OHCHR representatives were speakers at the HLPF, the Office has organized side events at the HLPF, as well as facilitated contributions by international human rights bodies and mechanisms to the HLPF (e.g. CEDAW and Human Rights Council). For instance, at the 2017 High Level Political Forum OHCHR organized a side event on the function of International Human Rights Mechanisms and the role of National Human Rights Institutions in supporting the 2030 Agenda.
4.5 Supporting VNR process:
OHCHR is supporting the VNR process in various ways, including through advocacy and capacity-building aimed at mainstreaming human rights in the VNR reports, efforts at building the capacity of states to strengthen evidence-based reporting and the use of human rights-based approach to data. The Office has recently been working with UNCTs on leveraging synergies in the implementation of recommendations stemming from human rights mechanisms in the implementation of the SDGs, which could not only guide the national SDG implementation (including by assisting those left behind) but also enhance the quality and depth of reporting, including in VNRs.
5. How has your organization cooperated with other UN system organizations to achieve coherence and synergies in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs? In this regard, has your organization launched or intend to launch any joint programmes or projects in collaboration with other UN entities? Are there any results or lessons you would like to highlight that might help improve the design and impact of such efforts? Has your organization participated in any of the following coordination systemwide mechanisms or any other relevant platform - CEB, UNDG, EC-ESA Plus, RCMs, UN-Energy, UN-Water, UN-Ocean, IAEG, IATT? Please specify which and indicate any suggestions you may have about improving collaborations within and across these mechanisms/platforms:
OHCHR has been actively involved in various CEB and UNDG discussions. The Office co-led (with UN Women) the process that embedded the imperative to redress the trends of rising inequalities and discrimination at the heart of the UN's support to the implementation of the SDGs. This commitment is clearly reflected in the Shared UN System Framework for Action on Leaving No One Behind, published by the UN Chief Executives Board for Coordination in 2017. OHCHR has been playing a key role in integrating human rights in the new UN Development Assistance Framework Guidance Package and the UNDG Guidelines to Support Country Reporting on the SDGs.
OHCHR has been co-chairing the UNDG working groups on human rights, starting with the Human Rights Mainstreaming Mechanism, subsequently turned into the UNDG Human Rights Working Group and later on to the UNDG "Give Voice to Common Values and Norms" results group, aimed at institutionalizing human rights mainstreaming in UN's development work.
As part of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Financing for Development (IATF), OHCHR engages in the follow up of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, advocating for the implementation of States' human rights related commitments. Such commitments include the development and maintenance of MDB safeguard policies coherent with international human rights and gender equality standards, as well as sustainable corporate policies guided by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
6. How has your organization engaged with stakeholder groups, both in supporting implementation at the country, regional and global levels, and within your own organization? If yes, please provide main highlights, including any lessons learned:
OHCHR representatives routinely take part in events designed to facilitate exchange of experience related to SDG implementation at national, regional, and global levels.
OHCHR has (co)organized several events aimed at promotion of a human rights-based implementation of the SDGs as well as peer learning events, for instance:
- "The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Human Rights based approach: a tool for UN Joint Programming" The first UN Community of Practice on human rights and the 2030 Agenda, focused on the UNDG Latin America and Caribbean Region experience, considered the integration of human rights in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda (including the role of human rights mechanisms), related UNDG policy framework and tools, and ways of ensuring a "Leave no One Behind" approach in UN Joint Programing (21-23 February 2017, Panama)
- "Valuing Infrastructure: Preventing human rights violations and promoting value in mega-infrastructure investment", a consultation meeting that involved representatives from CSOs and academic institutions to discuss the human rights implications of mega-infrastructure projects (9 March 2017, Germany)
- "Leveraging Synergies in the implementation and monitoring of the SDGs and human rights", two regional retreats aimed at facilitating peer-learning and increasing the capacity of UN Resident Coordinators from LAC and MENA regions identify and utilize synergies between the implementation and monitoring of the SDGs and implementation and follow up to the human rights recommendations. (23-24 November 2017, Chile; 7-8 December 2017, Lebanon)
- Human Rights Frontiers 2030 Forum "Uniting the UN to Leave No One Behind", the forum brought together senior UN representatives from the field and across the UN pillars to foster a common vision, and accompanying strategy that can unite the UN for human rights based implementation of the 2030 Agenda, building innovative 'thought leadership' on key frontiers for human rights.
7. Has your organization organized any conferences, forums or events designed to facilitate exchange of experience, peer and mutual learning? If yes, please provide a brief summary below and include lessons learned and gaps identified based on the outcomes of these events. Please also include any events you plan to organize in the coming years.
OHCHR representatives routinely take part in events designed to facilitate exchange of experience related to SDG implementation at national, regional, and global levels. OHCHR has (co)organized several events aimed at promotion of a human rights-based implementation of the SDGs as well as peer learning events, for instance: - "The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Human Rights based approach: a tool for UN Joint Programming" The first UN Community of Practice on human rights and the 2030 Agenda, focused on the UNDG Latin America and Caribbean Region experience, considered the integration of human rights in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda (including the role of human rights mechanisms), related UNDG policy framework and tools, and ways of ensuring a "Leave no One Behind" approach in UN Joint Programing (21-23 February 2017, Panama) - "Valuing Infrastructure: Preventing human rights violations and promoting value in mega-infrastructure investment", a consultation meeting that involved representatives from CSOs and academic institutions to discuss the human rights implications of mega-infrastructure projects (9 March 2017, Germany) - " Leveraging Synergies in the implementation and monitoring of the SDGs and human rights", two regional retreats aimed at facilitating peer - learning and increasing the capacity of UN Resident Coordinators from LAC and MENA regions identify and utilize synergies between the implementation and monitoring of the SDGs and implementation and follow up to the human rights recommendations.(23 - 24 November 2017, Chile; 7 - 8 December 2017, Lebanon) - Human Rights Frontiers 2030 Forum" Uniting the UN to Leave No One Behind", the forum brought together senior UN representatives from the field and across the UN pillars to foster a common vision, and accompanying strategy that can unite the UN for human rights based implementation of the 2030 Agenda, building innovative‘ thought leadership' on key frontiers for human rights.
8. Is there any other information you would like to share, including annual reports of your organization and any impact assessment or evaluation reports? If yes, please use the space below and attach the document(s). Please also use this space to provide any other information, comments or remarks you deem necessary:
Following up on the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, OHCHR is advocating for the implementation of States 'human rights related commitments and is engaging with Multilateral Development Banks and other development finance institutions to ensure that they integrate human rights risk information into their assessment and management of social risk for the projects they finance, including by incorporating human rights into their safeguard policies and internal due diligence processes.
9. In your view, what should a strategic plan for the UN system in support of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs look like? What key elements should it include and major challenges address in such a road map?
In recognition of the central place human rights have been given in the 2030 Agenda, including through the LNOB principle, a strategic UN-wide plan should explicitly link UN system support to the 2030 Agenda implementation with promotion and protection of all human rights as a cornerstone of sustainable development.