UN rights office to open mission in Dhaka

The mission will aim to promote and protect human rights in Bangladesh, the OHCHR says

The Office of the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) is set to open a new mission in Dhaka following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh's interim government.

According to a statement issued by the UN body on Friday, the new office aims to promote and protect human rights in Bangladesh.

The agreement was signed by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam.

The statement noted that since August, the UN rights office has worked with various stakeholders on human rights reforms and has conducted detailed fact-finding missions on the suppression of public protests.

Addressing the political transition in Bangladesh, Türk said the MoU upholds the “country’s commitment to human rights as a cornerstone of the transition”.

“This agreement will enhance our ability to support the implementation of recommendations from fact-finding efforts,” said Türk.

It will allow the OHCHR to support the government and civil society in their reformation agenda through their technical expertise.

The new UN office will provide training and technical support to help Bangladesh meet its national and international human rights commitments.

It will also focus on building the capacity of government institutions and civil society representatives.