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UN Trust Fund gives underrepresented countries a vital chance to participate
29 May 2024
“Coming from a small island, being a person from the smallest percentage of the world, it's really important that our voices are the ones that speak about our issues. So, when I read about the LCDs/SIDS Trust Fund, I thought it would be a good idea to apply,” said Zachary Phillips.
Phillips is from Antigua and Barbuda and a Crown Counsel for the Attorney General’s Chambers in the country. It was the first time Phillips participated in a Human Rights Council session.
Phillips, along with MaKetleho Molotsi from Lesotho and Sayeda Sumaiya Tarannum from Bangladesh had this unique opportunity because they were among the 14 beneficiaries of the Least Developed Countries/Small Island Developing Countries Trust Fund (LCDs/SIDS) during the 55th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.
The LCDs/SIDS Trust Fund aims to ensure that these small developing countries that are not represented in Geneva during the Human Rights Council sessions can participate and contribute to the work of the Council. The Trust Fund was established in 2012 by the Council by a resolution. Since it became operational in 2014, the Trust Fund has supported 252 delegates and fellows (148 women, 104 men), from 71 LDCs/SIDS to come to the Palais des Nations in Geneva where the Council holds its sessions.
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Human rights have always been involved in my work. I do a lot of work for the government, a lot of work for the less fortunate people in Antigua and Barbuda. But I think the real crux of my involvement with human rights has been the connection with climate change and human rights.
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Zachary Phillips, Crown Counsel at the Attorney General’s Chambers in Antigua and Barbuda
For Molotsi, a human rights lawyer based in the Human Rights Unit under the Ministry of Justice and Law of the Government of Lesotho, attending the Human Rights Council session provided an opportunity to learn how to communicate effectively on an international level.
“For me, it’s personal,” she said. “I am a person with albinism. So, growing up, I faced so many hindrances and I found myself having to advocate, push hard and so on and so forth. In the beginning, I just wanted to be a lawyer, but when I was at school, I learned about human rights. And so, I used to advocate for human rights with minorities. So that's why it pushed me into human rights. Not just being a lawyer, but also a human rights lawyer. I know that it will also benefit my country because I am going to transfer what I've learned here into [the work that I am doing] for my country,” Molotsi said.
The Trust Fund provides training on human rights and engagement with the Human Rights Council, an opportunity to attend fellowship programmes and learn practical induction trainings for delegates.
Tarannum, an Assistant Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangladesh with a particular interest on human rights issues such as forced displacement, migrant workers and women, also honed her diplomatic skills because of the training she received from the Trust Fund.
“This programme has been incredibly outstanding, and it impacted my professional development and my personal growth,” she said. “I had a great opportunity to engage here in the session, enhancing my diplomatic skills, my networking with other diplomats, experts, and civil society.”
The mandate of the Trust Fund also includes funding targeted training courses and capacity-building activities on the international human rights system, international human rights law and the rules and functioning of the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms.
“I have learned about the benefits of being a member of the Council. So, first thing I'm going to do when I get back to my country is to lobby my country to run for the elections to become a member of the Council,” Molotsi said.
Currently, 71 Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States are eligible to apply for the Trust Fund and up to 15 delegates are supported per Council session. Their participation allows them to better advance and promote human rights core issues for their countries.
