The agreement was signed this week by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, according to a statement issued Friday by the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva.
The Government of Bangladesh and the United Nations Human Rights Office have signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a new human rights mission in the country, aimed at bolstering efforts to promote and protect fundamental rights.
The agreement was signed this week by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, according to a statement issued Friday by the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva.
“This memorandum sends a strong message of Bangladesh’s commitment to human rights as a foundation for its future development,” said Volker Türk. He added that the agreement will allow the UN office to engage more directly with the government, civil society, and other actors on key reforms, and to assist with implementing the recommendations from the recent fact-finding report.
The upcoming mission will provide training and technical assistance to Bangladeshi authorities, support capacity-building across institutions, and help the country fulfill both national and international human rights obligations.
The collaboration between Bangladesh and the UN Human Rights Office has deepened since August last year, following the agency’s investigation into the deadly crackdown on mass protests. The office has since worked closely with various stakeholders to advance rights-based reforms.
