128. The OHCHR technical cooperation programme will be strengthened and focused and implemented on the basis of a clear strategy agreed with the Government, OHCHR presence in the country and long-term engagement, and the participation of civil society.

129. All country engagement work will include dedicated attention to economic, social and cultural rights. OHCHR will increase work to protect these rights through law and we will consolidate an expert resource capacity on their legal aspects in OHCHR.

130. OHCHR will consolidate and further develop thematic human rights expertise, ensure its integration with OHCHR country work and periodically review priorities. On the basis of an inventory of all existing mandated studies and reports to United Nations bodies, we will make suggestions on rationalization to release research capacity.

131. The work of the treaty bodies and special procedures will be fully integrated into OHCHR dialogue and engagement with countries.

132. OHCHR will create a unit to lead on legal advocacy and advice on international human rights law, including on compliance and law reform at the national level.

133. OHCHR will allocate appropriate resources to meet the increasing demand for its rule-of-law work, including for support for system-wide rule-of-law and justice initiatives.

B. Leadership

134. The High Commissioner will proactively propose solutions to human rights problems and promote initiatives for better coordination within the United Nations system, including by convening at the principal level system-wide consultations, twice-yearly, to coordinate and make recommendations to the United Nations system.

135. The High Commissioner will strengthen her engagement with concerned organs and bodies of the United Nations in the areas of both development and security in order, to provide them with timely human rights information.

136. OHCHR will establish a unit to work on the Millennium Development Goals and rights-based approaches, in particular to advise on and assess progress regarding human rights commitments included in the Goals.

137. OHCHR will build a stronger communications capacity in order to develop effective strategies for the dissemination of human rights information and the work of the United Nation’s human rights programme.

138. The High Commissioner will undertake public advocacy to emphasize the importance and legal status of economic, social and cultural rights.

139. The High Commissioner will publish, on an annual basis, a thematic Global Human Rights Report.

140. The High Commissioner will launch a Global Campaign for Human Rights, mobilizing support from Governments, United Nations partners, civil society and the general public to reaffirm commitment to basic human rights principles, including a call for universal ratification of all human rights treaties and the withdrawal of reservations.

141. OHCHR will establish a central policy development function to ensure consistency and quality in positions advanced.

C. Partnership

142. OHCHR will increase its work with United Nations partner agencies engaged in implementing action 2, giving priority attention to increasing training capacity, through additional resources, and deployment of human rights advisers to United Nations country teams, taking into account human rights priorities.

143. OHCHR will work with its United Nations partners to ensure that resident coordinators have adequate human rights competencies and that all agencies and the United Nations country teams leadership, in particular, meet their responsibility to mainstream human rights.

144. OHCHR will build stronger collaborations with civil society and work together with them to contribute to long-term human rights achievements. We will prioritize the strengthening of civil society in designing OHCHR strategies and work to protect freedom of association. A senior civil society function will be created in OHCHR and tasked with providing leadership on this issue. The High Commissioner will strengthen work on human rights defenders.

D. United Nations human rights bodies

145. The treaty bodies and special procedures are vital to the efforts to better implement human rights obligations at the national level. They must be better supported and made more effective.

146. OHCHR will allocate additional resources to strengthen national capacity and partnerships to engage in the treaty implementation and monitoring process.

147. The High Commissioner will develop proposals for a unified standing treaty body and invite States parties to the seven human rights treaties to an intergovernmental meeting in 2006 to consider options.

148. Consideration should be given to relocating the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to Geneva, to be supported by OHCHR.

149. OHCHR will increase support to special procedures to ensure an adequate level of servicing and stronger coordination, both with OHCHR and between mandate-holders.

150. OHCHR will make suggestions at the special meetings scheduled in 2005 to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the special procedures.

E. Management, staffing and planning

151. OHCHR is establishing a dedicated centrally placed policy, planning, monitoring and evaluation unit, which will ensure that the strategic vision of OHCHR is translated into concrete priorities and operational plans.

152. OHCHR will strengthen its administrative capacity and seek greater delegation of authority to support a more efficient and effective Office.

153. OHCHR will allocate more resources and staffing to our New York office, beginning with the early deployment of more staff charged with responsibility for work in the areas of rule of law, mainstreaming, the Millennium Development Goals, action 2, and peace and security. A feasibility study to determine whether other OHCHR functions and personnel might better be located in New York will be undertaken.

154. OHCHR will initiate, together with OHRM, a comprehensive review of human resource policies with a view to developing recruitment and staff administration procedures that respond to the operational needs of OHCHR and enhancing diversity, competence, management capacity and accountability.

155. OHCHR will institute measures to screen candidates to ensure that, between equally qualified candidates, priority is given to achieving greater geographic distribution.

156. OHCHR will engage with donor countries to encourage them to sponsor Junior Professional Officers from developing countries.

157. OHCHR will develop and systematically implement training programmes for both international and national OHCHR staff. It will do so by drawing on its own expertise, as well as on relevant expertise and programmes available within and outside the United Nations system.

158. OHCHR will develop, together with OHRM, a staff rotation plan, building on best practices identified by human resources specialists.