UNDP Lesotho, in collaboration with the Regional Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), conducted a two-day training session on National Human Rights Institutions for the Government’s Inter-sectoral Committee on Human Rights on 4 & 5 November 2008 as part of support to the government’s commitment to establishing a national Human Rights Commission. An extended session was devoted during the training to a detailed study of the draft legislation for the Commission itself.

Over and above the foregoing, the support has produced a road map that will be followed to achieve the objective, including consultations among related institutions that helped define their relationships under the chapeaux of the Commission. A promising development that has buoyed optimism towards achievement of this important milestone is an undertaking by the Ministry to allocate a budget in the 2009 /2010 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the Commission itself.

In addition, the Country Office has supported treaty reporting initiatives by an inter-sectoral committee of officials who sit together to draft reports on the various human rights treaties and conventions to which Lesotho has acceded.

As part of its programme, UNDP Lesotho provided support to the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and the Correctional Service as well as civil society organisations for the 2008 commemoration of Human Rights Day as part of a national campaign to raise citizens’ awareness of human rights issues.
 

Beginning of the March                                            Prisoners performing during commemoration

December 10, 2008                                                December 10, 2008