Human Rights

Human Rights

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights) is the leading UN entity on human rights. The General Assembly entrusted both the High Commissioner and her Office with a unique mandate to promote and protect all human rights for all people. The United Nations human rights programme aims to ensure that the protection and enjoyment of human rights is a reality in the lives of all people. UN Human Rights also plays a crucial role in safeguarding the integrity of the three interconnected pillars of the United Nations – peace and security, human rights and development.

UN Human Rights provides assistance in the form of technical expertise and capacity development in order to support the implementation of international human rights standards on the ground. It assists governments, which bear the primary responsibility for the protection of human rights, to fulfil their obligations and supports individuals to claim their rights. Moreover, it speaks out objectively on human rights violations.

The Geneva-based headquarters has three substantive divisions:

Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division (TESPRDD), which develops policy and provides guidance, tools, advice and capacity-strengthening support on thematic human rights issues, including for human rights mainstreaming purposes; and provides support to the Human Rights Council’s special procedures.
Human Rights Council and Treaty Mechanisms Division (CTMD), which provides substantive and technical support to the HRC and the Council’s UPR mechanism, and supports the human rights treaty bodies.
Field Operations and Technical Cooperation Division (FOTCD), which is responsible for overseeing and implementing the Office’s work in the field.

Dedicated services and sections, which report directly to the Deputy High Commissioner, handle core management, planning, coordination and outreach functions.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Michelle Bachelet, is the principal human rights official of the United Nations. The High Commissioner heads OHCHR and spearheads the United Nations’ human rights efforts.

The Human Rights Council

The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and for addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them. It has the ability to discuss all thematic human rights issues and situations that require its attention throughout the year. It meets at the UN Office at Geneva.

The Council is made up of 47 United Nations Member States which are elected by the UN General Assembly. The Human Rights Council replaced the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

The Council was created by the United Nations General Assembly on 15 March 2006 by resolution 60/251. Its first session took place from 19 to 30 June 2006. One year later, the Council adopted its “Institution-building package” to guide its work and set up its procedures and mechanisms.

Among them were the Universal Periodic Review mechanism which serves to assess the human rights situations in all United Nations Member States, the Advisory Committee which serves as the Council’s “think tank” providing it with expertise and advice on thematic human rights issues and the Complaint Procedure which allows individuals and organizations to bring human rights violations to the attention of the Council.

The Human Rights Council also works with the UN Special Procedures established by the former Commission on Human Rights and now assumed by the Council. These are made up of special rapporteurs, special representatives, independent experts and working groups that monitor, examine, advice and publicly report on thematic issues or human rights situations in specific countries.

Botswana at the Human Rights Council

Botswana was a member of the Human Rights Council from 2012 to 2017. During its tenure, Botswana advanced its priorities areas that include the following:

Children and women’s rights
Rule of law, democracy and governance
Separation of three arms of government, including independence of the judiciary
Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
Environment-related issues such as climate change and protection against hazardous wastes
Prevention and accountability of human rights violations
Reprisals
Water and sanitation
Right to education and health

In addition to its membership, Botswana is also responsible, with a group of countries for the presentation of resolutions on the independence of the judiciary; equal participation in political and public affairs; Preventable mortality and morbidity of children under 5 years old and; right to a nationality.

Botswana is also associated to groupings on issues of common interests, including the Group of friends on national implementation, reporting and follow-up/NMIRFs; Group of Friends on the Responsibility to Protect; Group of friends on article 4 ICCPR and; Group of Friends of members of the Geneva Support Group for Western Sahara.

Consideration of Botswana (Cont’d) – 2389th Meeting, 81st Session Committee on the Rights of the Child 24 May 2019 –

Consideration of Botswana – 2388th Meeting, 81st Session Committee on the Rights of the Child 23 May 2019 – 

Consideration of Botswana – 1677th Meeting, 72nd Session Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against

Women 1 Mar 2019 –