Andrea Ori, HoO Regional Office for North Africa Cairo, November 2012 Regional Governance Week Social Accountability in a Changing Region The Role of OHCHR Regional Office for North Africa in supporting the UPR

Regional office for North Africa  Officially started its work in April 2012, with the mandate to:  to strengthen the national human rights capacities of governments, state institutions, national human rights institutions and civil society actors in the region on the promotion and protection of all human rights without discrimination.

Regional office for North Africa  We provide technical assistance and expertise on various human rights issues for all countries of the region  we engage with regional and sub-regional intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations  function as a resource centre for country offices, the human rights components of peace operations and the human rights officers deployed in the region.

Regional office for North Africa  Supports the Human Rights Council in the implementation of the UPR from the outset of the process to the final implementation of the recommendations.

How? the Human Rights Council reviews the human rights situation of a country based on information provided by the:  State under review,(Interministerial committee who consulted other stakeholders)  independent human rights experts (UN, special rapporteurs etc.), OHCHR led the UN Task Force on UPR, and  other stakeholders including non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions (trained, coached, nurtured the CSO in preparing their contribution and in organising themselves in a coalition on UPR).

The Outcome  The outcome of the Universal Periodic Review process is a final report that contains a summary of the procedures, conclusions and recommendations, as well as the voluntary commitments made by the States under review.  These recommendations, endorsed by States, can serve to benchmark the state commitment to implement them and its accountability towards its citizens.

The UN can technically support  In developing a technical cooperation programme for the implementation of the UPR recommendations: this assistance be identified through three different stages of the same logical process:  UPR implementation plan  A National Action Plan on Human Rights  The NAP supports and is part of the UNDAF and evolves into a Technical Cooperation Programme on HR between the Government and OHCHR

The advantages of a National Action Plan followed by a Technical Cooperation Programme are multiples:  Nationally Owned Responds to the HR basic principles of:  Inclusiveness;  Participatory  Transparent, and  Accountable;  Takes into account citizens needs and eventually SP’s and TB’s recommendations.

The advantages of a National Action Plan followed by a Technical Cooperation Programme that are integrated into the UNDAF  Transparent and public;  Open to international cooperation and technical assistance  Benchmarked;  Monitored and evaluated by the UN tools  Easy for donors to financially support it  Socially Accountable: State, civil society, media, UN entities in general

The Process NAP on Human Rights UNDAF Technical cooperation programme UN mechanismes and tools

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