UN Philippines chief lauds Australia and Norway for supporting joint programme on human rights
For human rights to really take hold, said Mr. Gonzalez, they must become our "Highest Aspiration"
On Human Rights Day 2021, United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Philippines Gustavo Gonzalez recognized the support provided by the Governments of Australia and Norway to the first-ever national-level UN Joint Programme on Human Rights.
The Government of the Philippines and the United Nations (UN) signed the Joint Programme on 22 July 2021. The three-year UN joint programme was developed to implement Human Rights Council (HRC) resolution 45/33, adopted on 7 October 2020, which outlined specific areas for capacity-building and technical cooperation for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Philippines.
Gonzalez said, "The UN Joint Programme on Human Rights brings together different actors to find solutions to complex challenges. This is not always an easy task, but these challenges cannot be resolved by trainings and expertise alone. Resolving them requires leadership and courage. For human rights to really take hold, they must become, what UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called 'The Highest Aspiration'."
Through the joint programme, the UN in the Philippines will engage in capacity-building and technical cooperation in six areas, namely, strengthening domestic investigation and accountability mechanisms; data gathering on alleged police violations; civic space and engagement with civil society and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR); national mechanism for reporting and follow-up; counter-terrorism legislation; and human rights-based approaches to drug control.
Read the full message of Mr. Gonzalez here.
UN entities involved in this initiative
Goals we are supporting through this initiative
