Held as a hybrid event from 6–7 April, the recent Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE Region focused on sustainable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. European NHRIs’ participation in the Forum sent a clear message: they are ready to help lead others on the path to sustainable recovery based on human rights and the Agenda 2030.

NHRI participation at the UN SDG Regional and Global mechanisms

Erinda Ballanca, People’s Advocate of Albania, gave a plenary speech in which she stressed that NHRIs complying with the UN Paris Principles are indicators of peaceful, just and inclusive societies under SDG 16. She invited all UN SDG Regional and Global mechanisms and processes to enhance participation of NHRIs compliant with the Paris Principles in their fora.

Advocating for a human rights-based approach to data

Carol Rask, Chief Advisor of the Danish Institute for Human Rights, represented ENNHRI at the peer learning round table on “Navigating the data boom: finding, understanding and using SDG data”. She underlined that, in line with SDG 17, partnerships between NHRIs and National Statistical Offices should be fostered. This is so international and national human rights data can be used to fill information gaps and identify groups in need of special protection in the region.

Integrating human rights education into national frameworks

The Danish Institute for Human Rights also spoke at the peer learning round table on “Rebalancing people, planet and prosperity: Education for sustainable development as key enabler for the 17 SDGs and Agenda 2030.” It presented its data related to SDG 4, which indicates that UNECE countries are falling short of embedding human rights education into national frameworks. Resulting from this was the appeal to UNECE states to better integrate human rights in national education systems.

NHRIs as reliable partners towards sustainable recovery

ENNHRI’s key messages at the UNECE Forum are summarised in the ENNHRI Written Submission feeding into the Report of the Regional Forum 2022. This Submission is meant to inspire international, regional and national agendas to realise a more sustainable and human rights-based recovery.

Together with OHCHR, ENNHRI has also developed a checklist to guide NHRIs on how they can take a human-rights based approach to safeguarding jobs and livelihoods put under pressure by COVID-19.

Read ENNHRI Written Statement to the UNECE

Read ENNHRI Checklist on a Human-Rights-based approach

Read more on the previous sessions of the UNECE Regional Forum