Bigger and better cooperation to protect human rights victims - UN human rights chief

GENEVA (30 April 2010) – The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay will launch Monday one of the biggest global efforts to enhance cooperation for the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. On 3 May, Pillay will encourage some 300 representatives from international human rights organizations to join forces for bigger and better cooperation to protect human rights victims.

“Better cooperation between the regional and international mechanisms would bolster protection of victims of human rights abuses,” will stress the UN human rights chief opening the International Workshop on ‘Enhancing cooperation between regional and international mechanisms for the promotion and protection of human rights.’

The two-day workshop will bring together members of the African Commission and Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African sub-regional human rights mechanisms; the Inter-American Commission and Court on Human Rights; several Council of Europe’s human rights mechanisms, the EU Fundamental Rights Agency; the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights; the recently established Human Rights bodies within the League of Arab States and ASEAN; representatives of the Organization of the Islamic Conference; as well as regional and UN independent experts and academics. Governments, National Human Rights Institutions, and NGOs from all around the world will also attend.

They will discuss concrete proposals on ways and means to strengthen cooperation, between the UN human rights system and regional human rights mechanisms. They will also seek to identify strategies to overcome obstacles to the promotion and protection of human rights at the national, regional and international levels.