Human Rights

One of the key focus areas for the UNDP Governance Programme in Botswana is human rights.

Botswana context

Botswana is a signatory to five of the nine core international human rights treaties (ICCPR, CERD, CEDAW, CAT and CRC) as well as key regional human rights instruments.  Botswana is also actively engaged on the international stage, having been a member of the Human Rights Council (2012 – 2017) and a contributor to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process.  Botswana has also invited several special mandate holders, most recently the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues (2018) and has recently issued a standing invitation for all thematic special procedures. The courts have also played an important role in the development of human rights jurisprudence in Botswana.

Some of the commitments made by Botswana in its Voluntary Pledge at the Human Rights Council included:

·         Continuing efforts to strengthen national mechanisms for the promotion and protection of human rights

·         Creating a national human rights institution in line with the Paris Principles

·         Fully implementing its human rights obligations and commitments including Universal Periodic Review recommendations

·         Promoting active dialogue with civil society in the promotion and protection of human rights

·         Full cooperation with all treaty bodies including reporting obligations

·         Continuing ongoing domestic legislative reform including harmonizing national legislation with international commitments.

These commitments have been echoed in Botswana’s National Development Plan 11 (2017 – 2023).

Objectives

The aim of the Human Rights Project is to provide technical support to the Government of Botswana to achieve its human rights commitments as outlined above.

To achieve these objectives, UNDP is providing technical support to the key institutional pillars of human rights in Botswana, as follows:

Strengthening national mechanisms

·         UNDP supported a National Symposium on National Human Rights Institutions in November 2018 bringing speakers from Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Malawi and Namibia to share their experiences. The two day Symposium was live telecast on national television and national debate and dialogue was generated. The symposium agreed recommendations (set out in the Outcome Document) which are being implemented by Government

·         Supporting the Office of the President to establish a Human Rights Unit to implement its mandate to coordinate human rights including establishment of a National Human Rights Consultative Committee

·         Supporting the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Treaties, Protocols and Conventions to effectively deliver its mandate as the national mechanism for reporting and follow up (engagement, coordination, consultation and information management)

·         Supporting the Human Rights Unit to coordinate and develop a National Human Rights Strategy and Action Plan.

Creating a Paris Principle compliant national human rights institution

·         Supporting the drafting of a law to confer a human rights mandate on the Office of the Ombudsman (in addition to the maladministration mandate), thereby establishing a Paris Principle compliant national human rights institution (NHRI)

·         Supporting an institutional assessment of the Ombudsman’s Office to inform transition planning (including resource mobilization) for the establishment of the NHRI.

Implementation of human rights obligations

·         Supporting the drafting of a National Disability Policy and National Disability Strategy (including implementation plan) and Disability Act in recognition of Botswana’s desire to prepare for accession to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

·         Supporting national consultations on a range of issues including the UPR processes (Report and Mid-term review), the development of a National Human Rights Action Plan, the law to establish a National Human Rights Institution and the development of a National Disability Framework (Strategy, Policy and Law)

·         Supporting the training of civil society (including people with disabilities and Disabled Persons Organisations) to engage in public processes.

Treaty body cooperation

·         Supporting the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Treaties, Protocols and Conventions with training on treaty reporting including the simplified reporting processes and treaty report writing workshops

·         Developing a national human rights recommendation database to monitor the implementation and reporting on Botswana’s international and regional human rights recommendations, aligned with the National Development Plan and Sustainable Development Goals

·         Further enhancing Botswana’s agreements database which is a repository of international and regional conventions, treaties and reports

·         Supporting the Committee with advice as required on the implications of treaty ratification to support decision-making in this area.

Overview

Status: Active

Project Start Date: January 2018

Estimated End Date: December 2021

Donor:

Partners:

Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration; Office of the Ombudsman; Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation.

Geographic Coverage:

Botswana

Focus Area:

Human Rights

Sustainable Development Goals

Goal 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Goal 10 – Reduced Inequalities

Goal 5 - Gender Equality

Project Number:

00104658

Award Number: