John Macauley

UNDP Regional Center - Bratislava

Human Rights and Justice Community of Practice

UPDATE

Rationale – Communties of Practice

• 2 simple answers to this question:– Rationale reason: UNDP has branded itself as

a knowledge organization – corporate mandate

– Practical reason: the capacity of members of the COP to work together and address common issues – learn from the experience of others

What has been done so far?

• Decentralization and Local Governance – is the most active CoP – created sub-regional action plans on the basis of survey

• Public Private Partnerships• HIV/AIDS – created a lot of interest from the country

offices – How to guide on Building local partnerships to address HIV/AIDS

• Small and Medium Sized Enterprises• Civic Engagement• ICTD – a group of focal points that have started to

work together

What has been done so far? Continued

• Gender – also very active group of focal points that have been working together for over 2 years

• Energy and Environment – will start up a COP this year

• Public Adminstration and Reform - Anticorruption – an area of high demand and a priority for UNDP. Plans for the first COP meeting at the end of May 2005

• Human Rights and Justice – update below

WEBSITE• WEBSITE – as agreed upon at last COP meeting a HR and J

website was set up to enhance the exchange of information• Structure of the website –

• Contacts• Experts• Regional programming• Publications/materials• Interesting links• Ombudsman Roundtables and CoP meetings information• Knowledge management products

• Visit: http://europeandcis.undp.org/?menu=p_subpractice&SubPracticeID=62

• What are your ideas for other information to be included on the website?

GUIDELINES FOR OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTIONS

• The idea is to have a series of guidelines that will assist Ombudsman Institutions in fulfilling their mandate in protecting and promoting Human Rights

• 2 Guidelines have been finalized: in English and Russian – Guidelines for Ombudsman Institutions: How to

handle complaints – PART I– Guidelines for Ombudsman Institutions: How to

ensure the rights of persons in detention• Tomorrow – discussions on new document –

Guidelines for Ombudsman Institutions: How to conduct investigations

Follow up and next steps

• Use of the guidelines – specialized seminars for Ombudsmen – presentation by TOA, cooperation with other organizations

• Work on the Russian version of website – updating the website with new information

• Future Knowledge management products• Full fletched COP meeting planned for the

fall of 2005 – focus on the HRBA - tools