Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) helps protect and promote all human rights around the world. Headquartered in Geneva, the Office is also present in over 40 countries. OHCHR works to ensure the enforcement of universally recognized human rights norms, including through promoting both the universal ratification and implementation of human rights treaties and respect for the rule of law. It also aims to remove obstacles to the full realization of all human rights and to prevent or stop human rights abuses.

For more information please visit www.ohchr.org

OHCHR’s global Strategic Management Plan 2010-2011 provides a comprehensive overview of the areas of work on which OHCHR will focus during 2010 and 2011 and the resources that will be required. It is based on OHCHR’s fundamental goals - to protect human rights and empower all people to realize their rights - and is driven by the need to address critical human rights challenges in the world today, namely poverty, discrimination, conflict, impunity, democratic deficits, and institutional weaknesses

Embrace diversity, end discrimination - celebrating Human Rights Day 2009

ТHuman Rights Day 2009 on 10 December focused on non-discrimination. “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”. These first few famous words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights established 60 years ago the basic premise of international human rights law. Yet today, the fight against discrimination remains a daily struggle for millions around the globe.

The realisation of all human rights - social, economic and cultural rights as well as civil and political rights – is hampered by discrimination. All too often, when faced with prejudice and discrimination, political leaders, governments and ordinary citizens are silent or complacent.

Yet everyone of us can make a difference. You are encouraged to celebrate Human Rights Day by advocating non-discrimination, organizing activities, raising awareness and reaching out to your local communities on 10 December and throughout 2010.

More information on the campaign can be found on www.ohchr.org.

OHCHR in the Russian Federation

Background

Following the agreement between the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Government of the Russian Federation, a human rights presence was established within the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in the Russian Federation in January 2006. The High Commissioner's two visits to the Russian Federation in 2005 and 2006 provided opportunities to consolidate and strengthen the cooperation with national partners. Throughout the year 2007, comprehensive consultations concerning contents and forms of longer-term cooperation to promote human rights in the Russian Federation took place with OHCHR’s counterparts in Moscow. As a result, a Framework for Cooperation with the Russian Federation for 2007 and beyond was elaborated and approved, through an exchange of letters between the High Commissioner and the Minister of Foreign Affairs in August 2007.

The Framework clusters around four areas:

• rule of law;
• equality and tolerance;
• education and information on human rights;
• mainstreaming human rights within the UN Country Team in the Russian Federation.

In March 2008, a Senior Human Rights Adviser was deployed in Moscow to oversee and guide the planning and implementation of concrete activities within the agreed framework and as part of the UN Country Team.

OHCHR Moscow established partnerships and networks with government institutions at the central level and in Russia’s regions, UN agencies, civil society including NGOs, academia and other interested parties to put the Framework into practice.

2008-2010 Activities of OHCHR in Russia

2010

• International Forum on Business and Human Rights held in Moscow on 16 March 2010 with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, Professor John Ruggie, came to Moscow for the first time to lead the forum.
• 

  Opening of the Inter-University Resource Center for Human Rights Studies in the People Friendship University of Russia
  Inter-University Resource Center for Human Rights Studies opened in the premises of the People Friendship University of Russia in the framework of the joint Human Rights Masters Programme.
• Guest lectures of human rights experts from EIUC (European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratization) organized for the students of the Masters Programme at Russian partners universities (RUDN, RGGU, MGIMO).
• A review meeting on the pilot phase of the Human Rights Masters Programme conducted in August 2010 with the participation of EIUC (European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratization). The first year of the programme has received high evaluation, its lessons and achievements were discussed. The new course will start in September-October 2010.
• A roundtable on the Universal Periodic Review process and its recommendations to the Russian Federation held in July 2010 together with the Russian International Law Association at the Chamber of Accounts of the RF.
• All major UN human rights instruments and OHCHR publications available in Russian compiled into a special edition of a CD-Rom and presented to the public during the XXIII Moscow International Book Fair at the All-Russia Exhibition Centre on 1-6 September 2010. The CD-Rom is expected to support the work of government bodies, academia and civil society organizations working in the area of human rights. It will also be distributed to libraries including in the regions where access to the internet is not widespread.

2009

• Organized, in collaboration with the Rule of Law Unit at OHCHR Headquarters, the Russian Academy of Justice and the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation , an international expert seminar on the role of administrative justice for the protection of human rights. Along with Russian judges and legal experts, specialists from several European countries, South Africa and Colombia participated.
• 

  Moscow International Book Fair
  Established and launched the pilot phase of a joint Human Rights Masters Programme at three Moscow universities with the Peoples Friendship University of Russia in the lead and with active collaboration of the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratization in Venice/Italy. Prepared the first ever comprehensive bibliography of Russian human rights literature.
• Presented OHCHR and other human rights publications at the International Book Fair in Moscow for the first time in a separate stand in collaboration with the Center for Civic Education and Human Rights in Perm (Central Russia).
• 

  UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, Prof. S. James Anaya, in Moscow
  

  Field trip to meet with members of indigenous communities in Evenkiya
  Supported the first official visit to the Russian Federation of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, Prof. S. James Anaya, in October 2009. The Special Rapporteur met with Government authorities at the federal and regional levels, representatives and members of indigenous communities and organizations in Moscow and in the regions of Khanty-Mansiysk, Krasnoyarsk and Khabarovsk. In each region, he carried out a number of field trips to meet with members of indigenous communities living in remote compact settlements or isolated dwellings.Facilitated training in Moscow and Geneva on UN and national human rights systems for eight representatives of indigenous communities from the Russian Federation, under the auspices of OHCHR’s Russian-speaking Fellowship Programme, in collaboration with the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, UN agencies and indigenous NGOs.
• Held round table to promote tolerance and counter racial/ethnic discrimination together with the Public Chamber on the occasion of the International Day against Racial Discrimination (21 March).
• 

  Handbook for Civil Society “Working with the United Nations Human Rights Programme
  Conducted briefing sessions for civil society in Moscow and Saint Petersburg on the outcome of the review of the Russian Federation under the Universal Periodic Review procedure of the Human Rights Council in February/June 2009.
• Translated into Russian and published/disseminated the OHCHR Handbook for Civil Society “Working with the United Nations Human Rights Programme”.
• Co-sponsored, along with other UN agencies as in previous years, the international human rights film festival “Stalker” in Moscow on the occasion of International Human Rights Day.

2008

• Provided technical advice and guidance to governmental and non-governmental actors on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in order to promote Russia’s signature and eventual ratification of the Convention.
• Provided training, in Moscow and Geneva, on UN and national human rights systems for eight representatives of indigenous communities in the Russian Federation, under the auspices of OHCHR’s Russian-speaking Fellowship Programme carried out in cooperation with the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (PFUR).
• Organized a follow-up roundtable in Moscow on the establishment of a Human Rights Masters Programme (E.MA), with participation of the General Secretary of the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratization (Venice, Italy), OHCHR experts and representatives of leading Russian universities. A Working Group was established to accelerate the preparations for the creation, by fall 2009, of a pilot course.
• Organized, in cooperation with OHCHR Headquarters and the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East, an international workshop on the role of extractive industries in the protection of indigenous peoples’ rights.
• Carried out a series of events commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• Provided technical guidance to the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Russian Federation to enable his submission to the ICC for review of his status and re-accreditation as a full member.
• Conducted briefing/training sessions for human rights activists on the Universal Periodic Review procedure of the Human Rights Council in preparation of the review of the Russian Federation in February 2009.

Our Contacts

OHCHR Headquarters
Palais Wilson
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
www.ohchr.org

Office of the Senior Human Rights Adviser
Mr. Dirk Hebecker
UN Country Team - Russian Federation
9, Leontyevsky per.,
Moscow 125009
www.unrussia.ru



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