OHCHR – Southern Africa Regional Office (2008-2009)

Human rights context

 
The Regional Office for Southern Africa was the first regional presence established by OHCHR. It was set up in 1998 in response to demand for human rights advice, guidance and assistance from the UN Country Teams in Southern Africa at a time when countries in the region were undergoing a transition to democracy. Now, almost ten years later, the need for human rights advice, guidance and assistance has not diminished.

The Regional Office covers Botswana, Comoros, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The Regional Office works in partnership with governments, national institutions, civil society, the UN system, and the growing number of subregional organizations, such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the SADC Parliamentary Forum, the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (SARPCCO), the Association of Law Reform Agencies of Eastern and Southern Africa (ALRAESA), and the Central, Eastern and Southern African Heads of Correctional Services Association. By working jointly with these and other organizations, the Office contributes to strengthening African regional institutions and local partners and facilitates the exchange of regional experience in solving local problems.

Achievements

 
The Office has worked to raise the profile of human rights in the region, and has achieved considerable success in integrating a human rights perspective into the work of the UN Country Teams. It was instrumental in creating a Gender and Human Rights cluster as part of the Regional Director’s Team. It has also assisted in establishing national human rights institutions and worked with other partners to initiate or stimulate consultative processes with the aim of establishing or rejuvenating national human rights institutions, notably in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Madagascar. The Office sought to ensure that domestic legislation incorporated international human rights instruments through consultations with regional mechanisms, such as the SADC tribunal.

During the 2006-2007 biennium, the Office engaged with UN Country Teams and focused on two of the leading problems in the region, namely the spread and treatment of HIV and AIDS and the continuing discriminatory attitudes and practices and violence against women. The Office helped plan and launch the 365 Days Campaign against Gender Violence,which stoked momentum for the adoption of legislation in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mauritius on gender discrimination and violence.

Priorities

 
In 2008-2009, the Regional Office will become more involved in UNDP’s governance programmes in Southern Africa,which include elements that are core concerns for OHCHR, such as establishing and strengthening human rights commissions and providing human rights training for government officials, police, prison officers, judges, lawyers and NGOs.

OHCHR will continue to expand its network of partnerships and strengthen awareness of its role as a regional resource for human rights information, advice, training and assistance accessible to a broad range of partners and institutions. Given the worsening situation in Zimbabwe,which has prompted an exodus, particularly into South Africa, the Office will work with the UN Country Team, civil society, and relevant government authorities in Zimbabwe to help protect human rights and strengthen rule-of-law institutions.