RC Trebucq's Opening Remarks at the OHCHR Caribbean Treaty Body Reporting and National Mechanism Workshop

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

• Hon Sandra Husbands, Minister of State for Foreign Trade and Business Development of Barbados
• Delegates and Government Officials from English and Dutch Speaking CARICOM Countries participating in this workshop (13 countries confirmed, total of 33 participants)
• Mr Mahamame Cisse-Gouro, Director of Human Rights Council and Treaty Mechanisms, OHCHR
• UN colleagues  
• Distinguished moderator and panellists

It is my true pleasure to welcome you to Bridgetown on behalf of the UN system and to this Regional Workshop, on treaty body reporting and on the strengthening of National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting and Follow-up (NMIRFs). It is a very important endeavour for the region and the cooperation with the UN. 

I want to thank and commend the Government of Barbados as Host, and the OHCHR and Commonwealth Secretariat as organizers, for this event. We truly welcome the focus of this event on the regional opportunities and the exchange of experiences between member states. This will certainly help to enhance the treaty reporting in the region, and also help to explore more systematic approaches to follow-up on the recommendations and their implementation. 

There are two main reasons why I am particularly pleased with this workshop taking place at this timely juncture.

First, 

This is a hands-on workshop to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In my view, there is no better way to reinvigorate the human rights agenda than with practical tools, guidance, and peer-to-peer discussion about the States’ commitments to international human rights mechanisms. 

Second, 

Let’s not forget that the SDGs are a rights-based agenda.

Acceleration of the SDGs has been the plight of the recent Summit in New York. This is intertwined with progress in the implementation of human rights standards. This may be in relation to water and sanitation, education, gender equality or stronger institutions for peace and security.  

I also want to highlight that the principle of “leaving no one behind”, at the core of the Agenda 2030, reflects the spirit and contents of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

For this reason, this will be at the center of your workshop and discussions. This implies that strengthening the capacity of state institutions and government officials on human rights remains central to the ability of countries to accelerate progress on SDGs. 

Dear participants, 

I am glad to say that during the past years, we at the UN in Barbados and Eastern Caribbean, and also other UN Country teams in the region, have provided technical assistance to Governments for the preparation of their Voluntary National Reviews (for example; Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Guyana this year); this was also the case to assist in establishing national coordination mechanisms for SDGs; or to prepare SDG acceleration roadmaps. This means that there are already important compilations of data, progress achieved, and priorities identified that can serve as basis for reports to treaty mechanisms, making the tasks less daunting without having to start again from scratch.  

Finally,

I want to conclude by saying that we as the UN Development System, are fully committed in our work to improve the lives of women and men of all ages in this region.

And notably those who are at-risk of being marginalized, such as youth, persons with disabilities, women and girls’ victims of gender-based violence, members of the LGBTQ+ community; and the increasing number of elders who require adequate protection and care.  

In that connection, let me stress that we are very pleased at the UN with the decision made by the HRC last week, at the request of CARICOM countries, to set up a regional office of UN-OHCHR for the Caribbean. This is a much welcome development.

I wish you a very fruitful two-and-a-half days workshop so that you take away in your respective Ministries and Governments useful ideas and tools to uphold the human rights machinery.  



Of course, do not forget to enjoy the beautiful Barbados as soon as the organizers free you up from this packed agenda!

Thank you very much.