Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
1. Responding to the multiple crises, has the governing body of your organization taken any decisions or adopted any new strategies to enhance effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions and to reinforce the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and poverty eradication?
Development of the 2024-2027 OHCHR Office Management Plan and HR75 vision
UN Human Rights Office has been developing the new OHCHR Management Plan for 2024-2027 also by taking advantage of the opportunities opened by the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the change management program launched by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to gather knowledge and explore opportunities to inform the development of OHCHR’s new thematic strategies and organizational effectiveness action plans, respectively.
Human Rights 75 Initiative aims to commemorate the UDHR, while showing that this text is more relevant than ever at this time of multiple crises and demonstrate that human rights are a problem-solving tool. Through this Initiative, OHCHR has engaged with stakeholders to seek to advance on the promise of universality, progress and engagement through the international human rights ecosystem – being closer to our partners, especially Member States and the UN system, to better respond to their needs – through tailored, solution-oriented approaches. The new OMP aims at broadening our country engagement, develop capabilities, streamline work processes and continuously strengthen our attention to challenges such as diversity.
In this spirit, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights launched OHCHR 2.0 - fit for the future, a comprehensive change management programme to renew our organizational vision, culture, approaches to leadership and partnership and global structure, both at Headquarters and in terms of the regional and country engagement. Changes are informed by what we have learned through Human Rights 75 and its thematic high level roundtables and build on the Secretary-General's Our Common Agenda, with the fit for future capabilities and forward-thinking that are central to the Quintet of Change.
Youth HR declaration
To ensure that young people have a say in shaping the future of human rights, OHCHR created a Youth Advisory Group of 12 young human rights activists from different regions. Together with the Youth Advisory Group, OHCHR organized a global youth consultation and launched an online survey to gather young people's views on challenges and opportunities around human rights, their recommendations to decision-makers, and their human rights commitments for the future. Based on the results of the consultation and the survey, the Youth Advisory Group is developing the Human Rights 75 Youth Declaration, which will be presented at the Human Rights 75 High-Level Event in Geneva on 11-12 December 2023.
Increasing OHCHR capacity on the right to development, ESCR, and sustainable development
Through Human Rights Council resolutions 52/14 (Promotion and protection of human rights and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development), 53/28 (The contribution of development to the enjoyment of all human rights), 54/22 (Promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights within the context of addressing inequalities), the Council provided for a substantive increase in OHCHR capacity to work on the right to development, sustainable development, and economic, social and cultural rights, meaningfully strengthening OHCHR’s capacity to contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda going forward.
OHCHR’s vision on economic, social, and cultural rights
In 2023, OHCHR also developed the Vision of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for reinforcing its work in promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights within the context of addressing inequalities in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
This vision outlines five key priorities as follows:
1) expanding fiscal space and supporting implementation of economic, social, and cultural rights
2) addressing inequalities
3) ensuring an enabling environment
4) addressing the role of international financial institutions and
5) harnessing the power of data to protect economic, social, and cultural rights and achieving the 2030 Agenda.
To realize this vision, OHCHR will work to expand its capacity working on economic, social, and cultural rights at global, regional and country levels, aiming to provide strengthened technical support, advisory services, capacity building and legislative support to States, the UN, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders on all rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, through dedicated specialist teams across OHCHR.
2. In the past year, has your organization organized any intergovernmentally mandated conferences, forums or events that contributed to the achievement of the SDGs, or in the process of planning and organizing any such mandated events to be held next year?
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Event Name: |
5th Human Rights Council Intersessional Meeting on Human Rights and the 2030 Agenda: Overcoming multiple crises - realizing the SDGs through a human rights enhancing economy |
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Event Dates: |
19 January 2023 |
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Event Location: |
Geneva, Switzerland |
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Relevant SDGs: |
SDGs 6, 11, and 17 especially |
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Description: |
The 5th Human Rights Council intersessional meeting on human rights and the 2030 Agenda focused on SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation, SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities and SDG 17 on strengthening the means of implementation and revitalizing the global partnership for sustainable development, and the overarching promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to leave no one behind and to reach those furthest behind first.
Delegations reiterated that the promotion and protection of all human rights and the implementation of the 2030 agenda were interrelated and mutually reinforcing. While discussing a human rights enhancing economy, many Member State delegations indeed, affirmed that it is necessary and urgent to transform the economy and orient economic policies towards reducing inequalities and advancing human rights and environmental sustainability. It is time to put pre-existing human rights obligations into economic policy planning, including inclusive budgeting and progressive domestic revenue generation. This is the road towards investing in health care, social protection, quality education, clean water, housing, and other fundamental rights, countering inequalities and correcting patterns of discrimination.
Summary of the outcome of the meeting (official 2023 HLPF input)
Full meeting report (A/HRC/52/54)
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Website: |
https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/fifth-intersessional-meeting-human-rights-and-the-2030-agenda |
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Event Name: |
2023 Human Rights Council Social Forum |
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Event Dates: |
2 and 3 November 2023 |
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Event Location: |
Geneva, Switzerland |
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Relevant SDGs: |
3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 |
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Description: |
The Social Forum is an annual meeting convened by the Human Rights Council. It is a unique space for open and interactive dialogue between civil society, representatives of Member States, and intergovernmental organizations, on a theme chosen by the Council each year. In 2023, the Social Forum focused on the contribution of science, technology and innovation to the promotion of human rights, including in the context of post-pandemic recovery. Almost 700 participants have registered to the Forum. |
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Website |
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Event Name: |
INTERACTIVE ONLINE WORKSHOP: Mainstreaming the Right to Development in Voluntary National Review Reporting for Realizing the SDGs |
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Event Dates: |
28 and 29 November 2023 |
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Event Location (City, Country): |
Online, in partnership with UPEACE |
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Relevant SDGs: |
All SDGs |
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Description (max 150 words): please include a short summary of the event’s mandate and contributions to the SDGs, including its main outcome(s) |
The workshop will be led by an instructor, joined by invited experts, and will be delivered over a period of 2 half-days on 28 and 29 November 2023, to around 100 participants involved in the preparation, elaboration or review of the VNRs, including representatives from Governments, the UN system, NGOs, NHRIs, academia, students and others. It will involve examination of case studies to identify good practices on different dimensions of operationalizing and mainstreaming the RTD in VNRs. |
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Website (if applicable) |
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Event Name: |
UPCOMING: A series of regional seminars on the contribution of North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation to the enjoyment of all human rights, including the right to development |
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Event Dates: |
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Event Location: |
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Relevant SDGs: |
SDG 17 especially |
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Description: |
In its resolution 53/11, the HRC requested the OHCHR to organize a series of regional seminars, one for each of the five geographical regions, on the contribution of North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation to the enjoyment of all human rights, including the right to development, in order to allow States, relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, international and regional organizations, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations and other stakeholders to augment their activities in identifying challenges and gaps and sharing good practices and experiences in this regard. |
NB - In addition to the above highlighted events, please note that the UN Human Rights Council organizes every year a number of panel discussions which are closely linked to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, such as for instance the panel discussions on Climate Change and its Impacts on the right to food and on youth participation in environmental decision-making. For more information, please visit the website of the UN Human Rights Council.
3. In the past year, has your organization published or planned to publish any analytical work or guidance note or toolkits to guide and support the implementation of SDGs at national, regional and global levels? Please select up to three to highlight, especially those that address interlinkages among the SDGs.
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Resource Name |
Guidance Note of the Secretary General on Transitional Justice: A Strategic Tool for People, Prevention and Peace |
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Relevant SDGs |
Mainly 16; also SDG 5 and SDG 10 |
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Publishing entity/entities |
United Nations (GN was prepared through project co-led by EOSG and OHCHR, with participation of UN-Women, UNDP, the Office on the Prevention of Genocide, DPPA and PBSO, the Office of the SRSG on CRSV, DPO/OROLSI, and OLA. |
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Target audience |
Primarily UN staff, although SG Guidance Notes have wider influence and are also used by Member States and regional organizations, as well as by CSOs as advocacy tools |
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Description |
The new Guidance Note promotes transitional justice as a pragmatic human rights-based policy tool at the disposal of national stakeholders that is relevant to enhancing peace and security, human rights and accountability, and delivering sustainable development without leaving anyone behind. It aims to achieve greater innovation in the design and implementation of the Organization’s transitional justice work and support to national stakeholders, including delivering on SDG 16, and to contribute to tangible and transformational impact for people and communities. It sets out five key features of the UN’s approach (normative, strategic, inclusive, gender-responsive, transformative), and includes 20 recommendations for further operationalization by the UN. |
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Language(s) |
English (translations into other UN official languages are planned) |
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Website |
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Resource Name |
Human Rights and Voluntary National Reviews - Operational Common Approach Guidance Note |
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Relevant SDGs |
All SDGs |
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Publishing entity/entities |
Development of the publication was led by OHCHR and UNDP on behalf of the Task Team under the Secretary-General’s Call to Action for Human Rights |
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Target audience |
Primarily Member States; also relevant to civil society, UN entities, NHRIs, and others |
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Description |
The Guidance Note presents a practical 8-step approach with editable checklists for each step outlining suggested actions to assist Member States in developing their VNRs in a way that integrates human rights throughout the process, while also ensuring inclusive and meaningful participation. Taking the 2030 Agenda article 74(e) as a starting point - follow up and review processes “will be people-centered, gender-sensitive, respect human rights and have a particular focus on the poorest, most vulnerable and those furthest behind”, the guidance note demonstrates ways to use human rights-based approaches to strengthen VNRs and help accelerate SDG implementation that leaves no one behind. It provides links to numerous useful tools, further reference materials, and also highlights several specific country examples and good practices from previous VNRs. |
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Language(s) |
English, French, and Spanish |
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Website |
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Resource Name |
Committee on the Rights of the Child General comment No. 26 on children’s rights and the environment with a special focus on climate change |
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Relevant SDGs |
Primarily SDG 13, also SDG 3, 4, 5, 10, 16 and others |
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Publishing entity/entities |
Committee on the Rights of the Child |
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Target audience |
Primarily Member States, but also UN staff, civil society, academia, NHRIs and others |
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Description |
In this general comment, the Committee on the Rights of the Child emphasizes the urgent need to address the adverse effects of environmental degradation, with a special focus on climate change, on the enjoyment of children’s rights, and clarifies the obligations of States to address environmental harm and climate change. The Committee also explains how children’s rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child apply to environmental protection and confirms that children have a right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
A diverse and dedicated children’s advisory team supported the consultation process undertaken for the general comment, with 16,331 contributions from children , from 121 countries, through online surveys, focus groups and in-person national and regional consultations. The Committee also received inputs from States, experts and other stakeholders through two rounds of consultations on the concept note and first draft of the general comment. |
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Language(s) |
English, French, Spanish, Arabic (translations into other UN official languages forthcoming) |
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Website |
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Resource Name |
Civic Space Briefs |
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Relevant SDGs |
SDG 16 and others |
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Publishing entity/entities |
OHCHR |
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Target audience |
General public and others |
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Description |
Concise overviews of how human rights apply to key issues of relevance in the context of civic space, including civic space and tech, hearing civil society voices in treaty making, and protection networks |
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Language(s) |
English |
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Website |
4. In connection with the 2023 SDG Summit, the United Nations development system announced 12 High-Impact Initiatives where transformative progress is possible despite challenging global circumstances. Please share if your organization is contributing to any of these High Impact Initiatives and how various actors are being rallied behind them to mobilize further leadership and investment to bring progress to scale.
N.A.
5. In addition to the above, has your organization been part of any other initiatives or multi-stakeholder partnerships that enhance effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions and reinforce the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially in the areas of poverty eradication (SDG1), food systems transformation (SDG2), climate action (SDG13), governance (SDG16), partnerships (SDG17), which will go under in-depth review at the HLPF in 2024, or related to the Secretary-General’s proposals in Our Common Agenda
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Initiative/Partnership Name |
OHCHR Surge Initiative |
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Partners |
Varied and dependent on the country, at a minimum UNCTs and RCOs
Internationally, partners include the Raoul Wallenberg Institute, Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy at The New School, and UNESCO |
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Relevant SDGs |
All SDGs |
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Member States benefiting from it |
In the first 9 months of 2023, the bulk of the Surge Initiative support benefitted the following Member States: Afghanistan, Angola, Belize, Botswana, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, DRPK, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Haiti, Jordan, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Myanmar, Namibia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, The Gambia, Togo
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Description |
The Surge Initiative (SI) aims to fill a long-standing gap in the UN system on linking human rights with economics. This is done by translating human rights standards and recommendations of UN Human Rights Mechanisms on ESCR into country-specialized advice and policy options for building back better and accelerating delivery on the 2030 Agenda. Within this optic, the SI contributes to strengthening human rights integration in joint UN advocacy, planning and programming processes, including to Common Country Analyses and UN Sustainable Development Country Frameworks. In addition to engaging with the UNSDCF/CCA processes, SI provides specialized and contextual research, advice, and analysis so that macroeconomics policies operationalize economic and social rights, thereby furthering the goals of the 2030 Agenda. SI also advises on medium to long-term economic policies by focusing on fiscal space for social spending and human rights-based budgeting, taxation and inequalities, human rights impact of economic reforms, International Financial Institutions’ conditionalities and austerity policies.
In the first 9 months of 2023, SI supported OHCHR in-country presences with analytical contents and operational advice for 24 Common Country Analysis (CCA) and/or UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) processes. The team also delivered 6 briefings and trainings on the 2030 Agenda, the SDGs, and a Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) and Leave No One Behind (LNOB), as part of the UNSDCF process and held strategic discussions and engagements with 14 Resident Coordinator Office (RCO) Economists.
OHCHR Surge Initiative info-flyer (2023)
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Website |
https://www.ohchr.org/en/sdgs/seeding-change-economy-enhances-human-rights-surge-initiative |
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Initiative/Partnership Name |
Harnessing Critical Energy Transition Minerals for Sustainable Development in Least Developed and Land-Locked Developing Countries Just Transitions in Low Carbon Technologies |
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Partners |
OHCHR, UNEP, UNDP, UNCTAD, et al |
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Relevant SDGs |
SDG 8, SDG 12 |
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Member States benefiting from it |
Least developed countries and land locked developing countries |
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Description |
The Secretary General’s Working Group on Transforming the Extractive Industries for Sustainable Development (co-chaired by the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Economic Commissions) will mobilize key UN actors and other experts to provide technical guidance to LDCs, LLDCs and developing countries with critical energy transition minerals. The main objectives of this initiative are to support and accelerate a just energy transition through minerals; and identify and support the implementation of measures that can enable structural economic transformation in these countries; promote sustainable development, maximizing benefits for local communities along the supply chain, while minimizing negative environmental and social impacts. |
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Website |
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Initiative/Partnership Name |
Right Here Right Now Global Climate Alliance |
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Partners |
OHCHR in partnership with governments, policy-makers, persons affected by climate change, NGOs, foundations, businesses, academics, scientists, technologists, and influencers |
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Relevant SDGs |
SDG 13, 14, 15 in particular |
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Member States benefiting from it |
All Member States |
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Description |
Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance (RHRN) is an international initiative created to help the world align climate action with human rights obligations. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, rights-based climate action will enhance outcomes and their sustainability, reduce trade-offs, support transformative change and advance climate resilient development. By reframing climate change as the fundamental human rights crisis that leading scientists and human rights advocates, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights have declared it to be, RHRN promotes human rights as a powerful tool to help address the climate crisis.
RHRN encourages duty bearers that include states, subnational governments, universities and corporations to phase out all sources of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, and transition to a regenerative ecosystem. RHRN also encourages duty bearers to help those in their sector who are falling behind, to do the same by no later than 2050 in order to limit climate change to the greatest extent possible and in any event no more than 1.5°C. |
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Website |
6. In the Political Declaration adopted at the 2023 SDG Summit, Member States committed to using the review of the high-level political forum at the 78th session of the General Assembly to further strengthen the follow-up and review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, harnessing data to track progress in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals and targets, strengthening analysis of the interlinkages across the Goals and targets, including policy implications of their synergies and trade-offs. Please provide your organization’s recommendations, if any, in this regard.
Strengthen follow-up and review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at HLPF
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We urge Member States to systematically apply guidance on the value and benefit of integrating human rights approaches and considerations into their VNR reports and VNR processes.
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We strongly urge Member States to work to better link up 2030 Agenda review and follow up with the review and follow up conducted under the international human rights obligations, through international human rights mechanisms. 2030 Agenda is deeply grounded in human rights, therefore its implementation - if we are truly to leave no one behind - should also ensure that efforts to achieve sustainable development reinforce and contribute to fulfilling all human rights for all.
Harnessing data to track progress in implementation
When harnessing data for ensuring progress that leaves no one behind, it is critical to systematically apply human rights-based approach to data, which has been elaborated in the OHCHR’s guidance note to data collection and disaggregation entitled “A Human Rights-Based Approach to Data: Leaving No One behind in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.
Acknowledging that human rights indicators are essential in the implementation of human rights standards and commitments, to support policy formulation, impact assessment and transparency, OHCHR has developed a framework of indicators to respond to a longstanding demand to develop and deploy appropriate statistical indicators in furthering the cause of human rights. More information on this work is available from https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-and-mechanisms/human-rights-indicators
We also strongly encourage National Statistical Offices to explore partnerships and collaboration with the National Human Rights Institutions, including through developing systemic collaboration through MOUs. OHCHR can provide guidance and support the development of such MOUs – see for instance https://youtu.be/eGgpgZDhR2s.
Other suggestions
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We strongly urge Member States, the UN System, civil society and other stakeholders to join us in advocating for the development of human rights economies - economies that center people and the planet in all economic, social, and environmental policies, plans and programs and aim at ensuring that development, economic, industrial and trade policies, investment decisions, consumer protection and choices as well as business models are firmly guided by human rights norms and standards. Human rights economies foster active, free and meaningful participation and empower groups subject to discrimination. They intentionally aim at eliminating discrimination and reducing inequalities by investing in economic, social, and other rights and dismantling structural barriers and other impediments to equality, justice, well-being, sustainable growth and shared prosperity at both national and international levels.
A human rights economy is rooted in the inherent specificity of each economy. It embraces a context specific, evidence-based approach that considers the economic and political legacies of the specific context, including the continuing impacts of colonialism, racism and slavery, and inequalities within and between countries. It acknowledges that the realization of human rights requires international cooperation, assistance and mutual support and promotes solidarity among countries for this purpose.
You can find some key messages on building human rights economies in OHCHR’s messaging developed for the 2023 SDG Summit entitled Leverage Human Rights to Rescue the SDGs.
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Please note the contribution of the UN Human Rights Council Special Procedures Mandate-Holders to accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda prepared and published during the SDG Summit preparatory processes: www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/annual-meeting/Annual-Meeting-29-Joint-Declaration-SDG-Summit.pdf