The interim government has approved the establishment of a United Nations Human Rights Office in Dhaka for an initial period of three years.
The decision was made during a meeting of the Advisory Council held on Sunday, June 29, where a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was granted policy-level approval.
Legal Adviser Asif Nazrul informed that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, had visited Bangladesh earlier, and discussions had been ongoing for some time regarding the opening of a branch office in the country.
“They [the UN] wanted to establish a mission office in Bangladesh. There has been considerable progress in our discussions,” Nazrul said.
He noted that the MoU was reviewed in Sunday’s meeting and will now be scrutinised further by a panel of advisers before being finalised and sent to the High Commissioner.
Nazrul expressed hope that the MoU will be signed at the earliest opportunity, paving the way for the UN to open a human rights office in Bangladesh.
“Initially, the office will operate for three years. If both parties agree, there will be the option to renew it,” he added.
He also stated that one of the key benefits of hosting such an office is that the UN will be able to directly investigate incidents of human rights violations within the country.
Currently, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) maintains similar country offices in 16 nations, including Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Chad, Colombia, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Liberia, Mauritania, Mexico, Niger, Palestine, and Syria.
According to the OHCHR website, such offices are established to work with host countries in protecting and promoting human rights based on a full mandate, facilitating dialogue and support on rights-related issues.