GANHRI Launches Global Campaign to Remind with Human Rights Centrality, Universality

New York, October 12 (QNA) - HE Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Chairperson of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) Maryam bint Abdullah Al-Attiyah announced the GANHRI's launch of a global campaign to remind with the centrality and universality of human rights and the role and value of independent national human rights institutions. This came during the meeting of HE GANHRI Chairperson Maryam bint Abdullah Al-Attiyah with HE United Nations' Assistant Secretary-General and Victims' Rights Advocate Jane Frances Connors, and HE the Administrator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Achim Steiner at the UN headquarters in New York. During the meeting with the Assistant Secretary-General, Her Excellency said that many of the members are still building their capacities and many of them are at risk and in need of protection, adding that GANHRI continues to participate in supporting national human rights institutions that are at risk or threatened, including Afghanistan, El Salvador, Georgia, Guatemala, the Philippines, Ukraine and many similar situations in other countries. Her Excellency explained that the Global Alliance has developed partnerships with the Office of Victims' Rights Advocate at the UN to identify how national human rights institutions can support victims' rights, adding that this could include a roundtable discussion with the national human rights institutions next March in Geneva. HE Al-Attiyah indicated that the UN General Assembly in December 2020 adopted a historic resolution on national human rights institutions, clarifying that next year marks the 30th anniversary of the Paris Principles, the establishment of the GANHRI, as well as next year coincides with the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Her Excellency added that GANHRI continues to work with states, partners and civil society to strengthen the role of national human rights institutions around the world, in line with the Paris Principles and as an indicator in the framework of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (goal 16). At the meeting with HE Achim Steiner, the UNDP Administrator, the former Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN Under-Secretary-General, HE Al-Attiyah stressed that the United Nations, UNDP and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) place at the forefront of their concerns the support of the mandate of the GANHRI to help build, strengthen and protect national human rights institutions to be independent and effective in all regions. Her Excellency reiterated that the UNDP remains a strong voice in supporting national human rights institutions in the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals and climate change and building the capacity of national human rights institutions. HE Al-Attiyah added that in this world, dominated by many conflicts in various parts, the reliance is on a strong international human rights protection system, in addition to independent and effective institutions and a local community with a loud voice at the national and local levels. (QNA)