Human Rights: A Basic Handbook for UN Staff

127 Pages·2016·0.79 MB·English

by  United Nations.

OFFICEOFTHEHIGHCOMMISSIONERFORHUMANRIGHTS
UNITEDNATIONSSTAFFCOLLEGEPROJECT
HUMAN RIGHTS:
A Basic Handbook for UN Staff
UNITEDNATIONS
CONTENTS
Listof usefulabbreviations.........................................................................................vii
Diagram:UNhumanrightsstructure..........................................................................ix
ForewordbytheHighCommissionerforHumanRights...............................................xi
INTRODUCTION
1. UnitedNationsProgrammeforReform......................................................1
2. Thescopeof thishandbook..........................................................................2
3. Whatarehumanrights?..................................................................................2
4. Internationalhumanrightslaw......................................................................3
5. Stateresponsibilityforhumanrights............................................................5
6. Whatishumanitarianlaw?..............................................................................6
7. Internationalhumanrightsinstruments.......................................................8
PART1:
INTERNATIONALHUMANRIGHTSSTANDARDS
ANDTHEIRDEVELOPMENT
1.1 TheInternationalBillof HumanRights......................................................9
a. TheUniversalDeclarationof HumanRights.....................................10
b. InternationalCovenantonEconomic,Socialand
CulturalRights.........................................................................................11
c. InternationalCovenantonCivilandPoliticalRights.........................12
1.2 InternationalConventionontheEliminationof allForms
of RacialDiscrimination..............................................................................13
1.3 ConventionontheEliminationof AllFormsof Discrimination
againstWomen...............................................................................................14
1.4 ConventionAgainstTortureandOtherCruelInhumanor
DegradingTreatmentorPunishment.........................................................15
1.5 ConventionontheRightsof theChild.....................................................16
1.6 InternationalConventionontheProtectionof theRightsof all
MigrantWorkersandMembersof theirFamilies....................................17
1.7 DeclarationontheRighttoDevelopment................................................18
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1.8 LandmarkHumanRightsConferences......................................................21
a. TeheranWorldConferenceonHumanRights(cid:150)1968......................21
b. ViennaWorldConferenceonHumanRights(cid:150)1993........................22
PART2:
UNITEDNATIONSORGANS
2.1 Whatisacharter-basedorgan?....................................................................24
2.2 TheGeneralAssembly..................................................................................25
a. Powersandfunctions..............................................................................25
b. Sessions.....................................................................................................25
2.3 TheEconomicandSocialCouncil..............................................................26
a. Powersandfunctions..............................................................................26
b. Consultationswithnon-governmentalorganizations........................26
c. Sessions.....................................................................................................27
d. Commissionsof theEconomicandSocialCouncil..........................27
1. CommissiononHumanRights...........................................................27
1(a) TheSub-CommissiononthePromotionandProtectionof
HumanRights(formerlySub-CommissiononPreventionof
DiscriminationandProtectionof Minorities)......................................29
2. CommissionontheStatusof Women.................................................30
2.4 TheSecurityCouncil.....................................................................................31
a. Powersandfunctionspowers................................................................31
b. Humanrights............................................................................................32
c. InternationalCriminalTribunalforFormerYugoslavia....................32
d. InternationalCriminalTribunalforRwanda.......................................33
e. InternationalCriminalCourt.................................................................33
2.5 TheInternationalCourtof Justice.............................................................34
2.6 TheSecretariatof theUnitedNations.......................................................34
a. Organization.............................................................................................35
b. Powersandfunctions..............................................................................36
c. (cid:147)GoodOffices(cid:148).......................................................................................36
PART3:
HUMANRIGHTSMECHANISMS
A. CONVENTIONALMECHANISMS..................................................38
3.1 Treaty-MonitoringBodies............................................................................38
a. Overviewof theconventionalmechanisms........................................38
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b. Reportingprocedure...............................................................................39
c. Communicationsprocedureforindividualcomplaints.....................40
d. Howtocontactthecommittees............................................................40
3.2 CommitteeonEconomic,SocialandCulturalRights.............................41
3.3 HumanRightsCommittee...........................................................................42
3.4 CommitteeontheEliminationof allFormsof
RacialDiscrimination....................................................................................43
3.5 CommitteeagainstTortureandOtherCruel,Inhumanand
DegradingTreatmentorPunishment.........................................................45
3.6 CommitteeontheEliminationof Discrimination
againstWomen...............................................................................................46
3.7 CommitteeontheRightsof theChild......................................................48
B. EXTRA-CONVENTIONALMECHANISMS.................................49
3.8 Specialprocedures.........................................................................................49
a. Thematicandcountrymandates...........................................................49
b. The1503procedure................................................................................52
PART4:
UNITEDNATIONSSTRATEGIESANDACTION
TO PROMOTE HUMANRIGHTS
4.1 IntegratingHumanRightsintotheworkof theUnitedNations..........55
a. Preventionactionandearlywarning....................................................55
b. Humanrightsandhumanitarianoperations........................................56
c. Humanrightsandpeacekeeping...........................................................57
d. Integrationof humanrightsintodevelopment..................................58
4.2 UnitedNationsTechnicalCooperationProgramme................................59
a. Technicalcooperationinthefieldof humanrights...........................59
b. Howtoaccessassistance........................................................................60
c. Varioustechnicalcooperationactivities...............................................60
4.3 HumanRightsEducationandCampaigns.................................................66
a. WorldPublicInformationCampaignonHumanRights..................66
b. DecadeforHumanRightsEducation..................................................67
c. DecadetoCombatRacismandRacialDiscrimination......................68
4.4 HumanRightsMonitoring...........................................................................69
4.5 Workingwithcivilsociety.............................................................................70
a. NGOsandECOSOC.............................................................................70
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b. IndigenousPeoples.................................................................................71
c. Minorities..................................................................................................73
d. Supportforvictimsof torture..............................................................74
e. Supportforvictimsof contemporaryformsof slavery...................75
f. Privatesector............................................................................................75
4.6 UnitedNationsHumanRightsPublications.............................................76
a. OHCHRHumanRightsFactSheets....................................................77
b. ProfessionalTrainingSeries...................................................................79
c. HumanRightsStudiesSeries.................................................................79
d. OHCHRadhocpublications................................................................80
e. PublicationsfortheFiftiethAnniversaryof the
UniversalDeclarationof HumanRights:Basicinformationkits....82
f. Referencematerial...................................................................................82
PART5:
OHCHR ANDPARTNERS
5.1 TheOfficeof theHighCommissionerforHumanRights....................83
a. TheHighCommissioner........................................................................83
b. OHCHRinGeneva.................................................................................85
c. TheNewYorkOffice.............................................................................88
d. FieldPresence..........................................................................................88
5.2 UnitedNationsPartners...............................................................................90
ANNEXES:
I Listof InternationalHumanRightsInstruments....................................91
II UniversalDeclarationof HumanRights...................................................97
III Humanrightsfieldoperationscontacts...................................................103
IV ModelCommunicationtoHumanRightsCommittee..........................110
V Listof thematicmandates..........................................................................112
VI Listof countrymandates...........................................................................114
VII UsefulinternetsitesforUnitedNationsinformation...........................116
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LIST OF USEFUL ABBREVIATIONS
ASEAN Associationof SoutheastAsianNations
CAT ConventionAgainstTorture/CommitteeAgainstTorture
CBO Community-basedorganization
CEDAW ConventionontheEliminationof AllFormsof
DiscriminationagainstWomen/Committeeonthe
Eliminationof allFormsof DiscriminationagainstWomen
CERD CommitteeontheEliminationof RacialDiscrimination
CESCR CommitteeonEconomic,SocialandCulturalRights
CHR CommissiononHumanRights
CIS Commonwealthof IndependentStates
CPRMW ConventionontheProtectionof theRightsof Migrant
WorkersandMembersof theirFamilies
CRC ConventionontheRightsof theChild/Committeeonthe
Rightsof theChild
CSW CommissionontheStatusof Women
DPA Departmentof PoliticalAffairs
DPKO Departmentof Peace-KeepingOperations
ECOSOC UnitedNationsEconomicandSocialCouncil
FAO FoodandAgricultureOrganization
HRC HumanRightsCommittee
ICC InternationalCriminalCourt
ICCPR InternationalCovenantonCivilandPoliticalRights
ICERD InternationalConventionontheEliminationof AllForms
of RacialDiscrimination
ICESCR InternationalCovenantonEconomic,SocialandCultural
Rights
ICJ InternationalCourtof Justice
ICRC InternationalCommitteeof theRedCross
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ILO InternationalLabourOrganization
IMF InternationalMonetaryFund
IOM InternationalOrganizationforMigration
NGO Non-GovernmentalOrganization
OAU OrganizationforAfricanUnity
OCHA OfficefortheCoordinationof HumanitarianAffairs
OSCE OrganizationforSecurityandCooperationinEurope
UDHR UniversalDeclarationof HumanRights
UNDP UnitedNationsDevelopmentProgramme
UNESCO UnitedNationsEducational,ScientificandCultural
Organization
UNFPA UnitedNationsPopulationFund
UNGA UnitedNationsGeneralAssembly
OHCHR Officeof theHighCommissionerforHumanRights
UNHCR UnitedNationsHighCommissionerforRefugees
UNICEF UnitedNationsChildren(cid:146)sFund
UNIFEM UnitedNationsDevelopmentFundforWomen
WFP WorldFoodProgramme
WHO WorldHealthOrganization
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STRUCTURE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS BODIES AND MECHANISMS
(Source:OHCHRwebsiteathttp://www.unhchr.ch/hrostr.htm)
Thisdiagram,whichisnotexhaustive,isintendedtodescribethefunctioningof theUnitedNationssysteminthefieldof humanrights.Emphasisis
giventothosebodiesandprogrammeswithmajorhumanrightsresponsibilities.
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FOREWORD
Whereasthepeoplesof theUnitedNationshaveintheCharterreaffirmedtheirfaithin
fundamentalhumanrights,inthedignityandworthof thehumanpersonandinthe
equalrightsof menandwomenandhavedeterminedtopromotesocialprogressand
betterstandardsof lifeinlargerfreedom(cid:133)
Preamble,UniversalDeclarationof HumanRights
Dearcolleaguesof theUnitedNations,
Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms lies at the heart of all
aimsandobjectivesof theUnitedNationsandisoneof thecentralpurposesof the
UnitedNationsCharter.Asmembersof theUnitedNationsOrganization,wehavea
specialresponsibilitytoensuretheenjoymentof humanrightsforallpeoplewithout
distinction. Substantial progress has been made over the past 50 years in terms of
establishinginternationallawsandstandardstoprotecthumanrights,butthisisover-
shadowed by the disturbing reality that grave human rights violations continue to
occurworldwideonadailybasis.
Intheyearsahead,therefore,emphasismustbeplacedontheimplementationof
human rights standards and on the prevention of human rights violations. We must
transform principles into concrete action. In doing so, our goal must be to main-
stream human rights throughout the United Nations system, as called for by the
Secretary-General, Kofi Annan. I am heartened by the visible determination of
UnitedNationsagenciestointegratehumanrightsintotheirwork.
ThishandbookhasbeendevelopedtoassistUnitedNationscolleaguesunder-
stand and appreciate the human rights system within the context of the United
NationsOrganization.Thefollowingchaptersprovideanoverviewof humanrights
instruments and developments; the role of United Nations organs in protecting
human rights; the international mechanisms which have evolved to monitor imple-
mentationof rightsandprocesscomplaints;strategiesengagedtopromoteandpro-
tect human rights within the United Nations; and the role of my Office and other
UnitedNationspartners.
Iurgecolleaguestofamiliarizethemselveswiththestandardsandmechanisms
of human rights, to seek inspiration from and make more frequent use of human
rightsinstruments.Iurgecolleaguestointegratehumanrightsintotheirofficesona
day-to-day basis and to be conscious of their role in helping others to assert and
achieve their human rights. A human rights-based approach to development, peace
andsecurityisthesurestguaranteeof success.Wemustdedicateourselvestoachiev-
ingourgoal(cid:150)allhumanrightsforall(cid:150)inthetwenty-firstcentury.
MARYROBINSON
UnitedNations
HighCommissionerforHumanRights
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