2022 HLPF VNR Lab: Human Rights and Voluntary National Reviews
Thursday, 7 July 2022, starting at 1pm EDT (New York time).
REGISTER HERE: https://forms.office.com/r/z2krDpcTqZ
Join us for the launch of the Human Rights and Voluntary National Reviews Operational Common Approach Guidance Note.
Launch will take place on the margins of the High-level Political Forum at the VNR Lab ‘Human Rights and Voluntary National Reviews’.
The VNR Lab will be convened virtually on Thursday, 7 July 2022, starting at 1pm EDT (New York time).
The event will provide a space to share experiences and lessons learned in applying a human rights approach to the Voluntary National Review processes with the aim of accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and ensuring no one is left behind.
You will be able to engage in dialogue with representatives of Member States, the UN System, civil society, and national human rights institutions.
Speakers will also provide more information on the guidance and ways in which the United Nations is supporting Voluntary National Reviews.
More information on the event, held under Chatham House Rules, is available here.
The guidance, developed under the UN Secretary-General’s Call to Action for human rights, provides practical advice on ways to integrate rights-based approaches in the development of VNRs.
It also reflects on ways to integrate the content of the VNRs and lessons learned from the VNR process to national human rights monitoring and reporting. VNR reporting and human rights reporting can become mutually beneficial processes, if we leverage data, analysis, content, and process experience to enhance the quality of reports, ease reporting burdens, and accelerate implementation.
Agenda
Welcome and opening: (5 min)
- Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, Acting ASG for Development Cooperation (TBC)
- (alternatively) EOSG representative (TBC)
Moderator: Marion Barthelemy, Director, Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development, UN DESA
Panel: with due consideration to gender and regional balance (7 min each)
- Member State representatives
- Agostinho Moisés, Head of the Department for External Policies, Monitoring and Evaluation, Directorate General of Planning and Regional Integration, Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Integration, Guinea Bissau
- Costa Rica (PM indicated interest, are seeking speaker confirmation)
- Amina Bouayach, Secretary, GANHRI
- CSO representative, TAP network/CIVICUS (TAP network to confirm)
Respondent and Presentation: Joint UNDP and OHCHR intervention by Sarah Rattray, Global Policy Specialist for Human Rights, Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights for Sustaining Peace, UNDP Crisis Bureau and Maria-Soledad Pazo, Senior Human Rights Officer, Universal Periodic Review Branch, OHCHR (10 min total)
presentation on the guidance note and its links to the examples from the two countries that are highlighted in the panel, demonstrating how it can be useful for future VNRs and why it’s important
Contributions of the UN System: Alfonso Barragues (UNFPA, in his personal capacity), UNICEF, and UN Women expressed interest to date
- Inas Margieh, UN Women Palestine Country Office
- TBC, UNICEF
- Alfonso Barragues, Deputy Chief, UNFPA Representation Office in Geneva, in his personal capacity
Open discussion and Q&A session:
- Moderator opens the floor and fields questions to speakers, taking up to 3 questions at a time
- questions/comments can be made via chat and/or by raise hand function and taking the floor
- there is also the opportunity to submit a question in advance via the registration form (questions to be summarized and shared with the moderator)
Closing: George Conway, Deputy Director, UNDP (3-5 min; TBC)