At a joint side-event, organised on 13 July, on the occasion of the 2017 High Level Political Forum (the main UN platform dealing with sustainable development) GANHRI, UNDP and OHCHR representatives examined how NHRIs and international human rights bodies can more efficiently engage in SDG implementation and monitoring.

Participants presented and discussed concrete country examples on how the of international human rights mechanisms and the work of National Human Rights Institutions are contributing to the realization of human rights through the SDGs, sharing experiences and building better synergies.

“Effective, accountable, inclusive and independent NHRIs, with their broad mandate, are very important actors in achieving SDG targets, by integrating their knowledge on how to realize human rights into the national processes for SDGs implementation” said Lora Vidovic, ENNHRI Chair and Croatian Ombudswoman, who emphasized as well the importance of mutual cooperation between NHRIs and different stakeholders at regional and international level.

UN Assistant Secretary-General, and UNDP’s Assistant Administrator, Magdy Martínez-Solimán, highlighted in turn that “NHRIs can advise and support national stakeholders on human rights-centred approaches to implement the SDGs. This can include how to promote meaningful participation of all groups at all stages of SDG implementation; how to support monitoring of progress and how to provide evidence-based recommendations and guidance on patterns of discrimination and inequality”.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) “seek to realize the human rights of all”, to “leave no one behind” and many of the Goals reflect the content of international human rights standards. NHRIs, in accordance with their mandates and functions of the Paris Principles, are important actors who can promote the realization of human rights, through the Sustainable Development Goals.