The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is set to launch a mission in Bangladesh following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two parties.
The three-year mission was formalized through the MoU signed by Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva announced the development in a statement on Friday.
The mission aims to support the protection and promotion of human rights in Bangladesh. The agreement was signed earlier this week and marks a significant step toward deeper engagement between Bangladesh and the UN Human Rights Council, which has intensified since August of last year.
According to the Geneva-based OHCHR, the Council has been working closely with relevant stakeholders in Bangladesh to conduct coordinated fact-finding related to reforms and serious human rights violations, including those committed during mass uprisings.
UN High Commissioner Volker Türk said, “This MoU sends a strong signal about Bangladesh’s commitment to interim human rights protection. It will help my office better support the implementation of our fact-finding recommendations and engage directly with the government, civil society, and other experts to exchange knowledge and assistance.”
The new mission will provide training and technical support to various government authorities to help fulfill national and international human rights commitments. It will also work to strengthen the capacities of government institutions and civil society representatives.