Venezuela and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights complete the first technical cooperation workshop
With the technical and experiential support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela concluded on Tuesday the workshop on comparative experiences of consultation processes and development of second national human rights plans.
From the headquarters of the People’s Power Ministry for the Prison Service, in Caracas, Edgardo Toro, coordinator for the Venezuelan State before the International Human Rights System, explained that it was a consultation workshop on the experiences and challenges that Venezuela had for the preparation of its first National Human Rights Plan 2016-2019 and is aswell preparatory for the second plan.
He indicated that specialists in human rights of the UN, in person and through videoconference, shared the work done in the elaboration of national plans on the subject in other countries, recommending that an inclusive methodology should be applied for the participation of social movements, NGOs and State institutions that crosscut human rights issues.
They stressed the importance of preparing a diagnosis or base document to begin the construction of the second plan, which should arise from a broad and inclusive process of dialogue and consultation within the respective country and involve civil society organizations and State institutions; It must be linked to the national development plan and international treaties on the subject, in addition to responding to international standards regarding its methodological conceptualization.
In addition, Hélene Devaux, deputy coordinator and Nekane Lavin, coordinator of the Office of the High Commissioner in Venezuela, presented the “International standards and criteria for participatory and inclusive methodology” and “Baseline and indicators in the development of national human rights plans”, Respectively.
Representatives from different institutions of the Venezuelan State that make up the National Human Rights Council, such as the Public Ministry, Ombudsman, Supreme Court of Justice, Armed Forces, Public Defense, Foreign Ministry, People’s Power Ministries for Internal Relations, Justice and Peace; and for the Penitentiary Service, among other organizations participated in the workshop.