Oficina Regional para América del Sur

Background

The OHCHR Regional Office for South America was established in Santiago, following the signature of an agreement between the OHCHR and the Government of Chile on 23 September 2009. This Office complies with the mandate and general competences assigned to the OHCHR by the General Assembly in its resolution 48/141 of 20 December 1993.

The Regional Office for South America covers Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. It coordinates its activities and actions with Headquarters and other field presences.

The Regional Office for South America works with governments, parliaments, tribunals, national human rights institutions, civil society, regional and international organisations and the United Nations to develop and strengthen their capacities, so as to improve the promotion and protection of human rights, according to international norms.

The thematic priorities of the Regional Office for South America are: combating impunity and strengthening accountability and the rule of law; integrating human rights in development and in the economic sphere; enhancing equality and countering discrimination; early warning and protection of human rights in situations of conflict, violence and insecurity; strengthening the effectiveness of international human rights mechanisms and the progressive development on international human rights law; and widening democratic space.

Activities

The main activities of the OHCHR-South America Office are:

• Promoting international human rights instruments; 
• Organizing seminars, workshops and research around various human rights issues; 
• Training stakeholders on how to use United Nations human rights promotion and protection mechanisms and how to follow-up on their rulings and recommendations; 
• Training on the Universal Periodic Review and how to follow-up on its recommendations
• Providing technical assistance in the harmonization and implementation of international human rights commitments; 
• Organizing seminars and workshops on the importance of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and the Paris Principles;
• Promoting the use of human rights protection mechanisms, with an emphasis on the rights of indigenous peoples; 
• Providing training and promoting the application of a human-rights based approach in planning and in development programmes;
• Providing assistance with National Human Rights Action Plans; 
• Facilitating roundtables with participation from civil society, national human rights institutions, the  international cooperation and community, prioritizing and highlighting best practices; 
• Supporting the visits of Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups and disseminating their recommendations; 
• Cooperating with other international or regional and inter-governmental or non-governmental organizations; 
• Cooperating with Resident Coordinators and UNCTs on human rights issues; 
• Informing and promoting all of these activities by means of press releases, articles, interviews, videos, factsheets and other publications.