WORLD | United Nations Human Rights Report 2019

Michelle Bachelet is pleased to present the first report covering an entire year of her term as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The year 2019 was marked by important developments supported by the OHCHR’s headquarters and 84 field presences across the world. With The OHCHR’s assistance, fifteen national laws were adopted to combat discrimination in all forms.

In North Macedonia, for example, OHCHR supported advocacy efforts by civil society organizations, leading to the adoption of a new law in May on prevention and protection against discrimination. OHCHR also supported the development of the first system-wide United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy, which aims to bring about structural change in the organization. It is the first UN accountability framework that operates across all UN pillars, without distinction, including climate action initiatives.

OHCHR ensured that the new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework had a strong normative and human rights foundation supporting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, especially as we enter the decade of action do deliver the goals. In Central Asia and Central America, for example, OHCHR carried out a number of initiatives to integrate human rights into national frameworks for the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Human Rights Report 2019 was finalized in a time when the COVID-19 pandemic still continues to challenge our societies and in her foreword to the report High Commissioner Bachelet underlines that: “In these unsettling times, the importance of human rights has become even more evident.”

Source: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)