Strengthening partnerships with civil society/NGOs
OHCHR’s work worldwide in promoting and protecting human rights is based on the conviction that civil society organizations play a crucial and fundamental role. The mandate of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, together with the High Commissioner’s Plan of Action of 2005 provides the framework for OHCHR’s engagement with civil society.
Civil society, in particular non-governmental organizations (NGOs), enhance the international human rights system through a multiplicity of roles and provide a valuable link from the grassroots to the national and international levels. OHCHR benefits from the support, information, analysis and expertise coming from civil society actors, and in turn provides solidarity, protection, education and advice.
A strong and autonomous civil society, able to operate freely, adequately knowledgeable and skilled with regard to human rights, is a key element in securing sustainable human rights protection at the national level in any part of the world.
While partnerships vary in shape and format, the overarching goal of OHCHR’s engagement with civil society actors is to contribute to diminishing and, if possible, closing human rights implementation gaps. All parts of OHCHR - Headquarters in Geneva, the New York Office and the Field Presences - engage daily with civil society organizations in a variety of ways according to their specific areas of work.
In 2004 OHCHR established an NGO Liaison Officer at Headquarters in Geneva to facilitate NGO access to and interaction with OHCHR. OHCHR’s NGO Liaison Officer can be contacted at:
OHCHR NGO Liaison Officer
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Telephone: + 41 (0)22 917 9656
Email: ldolci-kanaan@ohchr.org
Working with OHCHR: A Handbook for NGOs is a new OHCHR Publication that aims to provide NGOs with a comprehensive and user-friendly guide to the work of OHCHR, including key information on human rights mechanisms, entry points for NGOs and contact details with a view to assisting NGOs in identifying areas of possible cooperation and partnership with OHCHR.