'Human Rights Up Front' Initiative

An initiative by the Secretary-General to strengthen prevention and improve UN action

Human Rights up Front is a Secretary-General initiative to strengthen prevention of serious concerns that cut across the UN’s three pillars of peace and security, development, and human rights. The initiative seeks to bring the UN System together in a way that is mutually supportive, helps prevention, and prioritises human rights. In the worst situations, the initiative also seeks to prevent the most serious life-threatening violations.

The initiative aims to realize a cultural change within the UN system, so all staff and UN entities to conduct their work with an awareness of their wider responsibility to support the UN Charter and overall UN mandates. It encourages staff to take a principled stance and to act with moral courage to prevent serious and large-scale violations, and pledges Headquarters support for those who do so. It also seeks operational change, and change in UN engagement with Member States.

Statements Deputy Secretary-General's remarks at interactive dialogue with General Assembly (27 January 2016) Deputy Secretary-General's remarks at panel discussion in commemoration of Human Rights Day (9 December 2015) Deputy Secretary-General's remarks to General Assembly (17 December 2013) Documents Human Rights up Front - a summary Secretary-General's letter to the President of the General Assembly Secretary-General's commitment statement Articles The United Nations' Human Rights up Front Initiative by Jan Eliasson, UN Deputy Secretary-General The Future of Human Rights: A View from the United Nations by Andrew Gilmour, Director of Political, Peacekeeping, Humanitarian, and Human Rights Affairs in the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General		News Opening Assembly debate, Ban calls on world leaders ‘act now,’ work together for a better future Human rights are not ‘abstract ideas,’ must be main tool in meeting development targets – Ban Ban urges 'sharp focus,' shared responsibility for continued momentum on UN peace agenda World's most vulnerable must benefit from promise and ideals of UN Charter – Ban ‘Human Rights up Front’ initiative ever more vital to strengthen UN’s preventive work, says deputy UN chief Fundamental freedoms ‘inalienable and inherent – now and always,’ UN says on Human Rights Day Amid today’s complex conflicts, Ban outlines role for Security Council in strengthening peace operations Political consensus urgent to protect human rights, Ban tells opening session of UN council
Videos
A film that provides UN staff with an overview of the Human Rights up Front initiative, including interviews with senior UN officials (9 August 2016)	Opening Remarks by UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson at an informal meeting of the General Assembly on the Human Rights up Front initiative (27 January 2016)	Closing Remarks by UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson at an informal meeting of the General Assembly on the Human Rights up Front initiative (27 January 2016)
Remarks by UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson at a panel discussion on Human Rights up Front on the occasion of Human Rights Day 2015 (9 December 2015)	Video message by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the occasion of Human Rights Day 2014 (2 December 2014)	South Sudan - In their Own Words: Ken Payumo's Story (14 November 2014)
UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson briefs the press on the Human Rights up Front initiative (19 December 2013)	(Extract) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon briefs the General Assembly on recent activities (11 November 2013)

An initiative by the Secretary-General to strengthen prevention and improve UN action

Statements

Documents

Articles

News

Videos

On the Job

The Team

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'Human Rights Up Front' Initiative

An initiative by the Secretary-General to strengthen prevention and improve UN action

Statements

Documents

Articles

News

Videos

On the Job

The Team

Resources

Quicklinks