UNDP to address human rights issues in COVID-19 thru innovations

DHAKA, Jan 11, 2021 (BSS) – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
under its Human Rights and Justice Programme (HRJP) has launched Low-Value
Grants (LVG) to foster small scale innovative actions to address human rights
issues during and after COVID-19 situation in Bangladesh, engaging civil
society organisations (CSOs) and community radios.

Under this initiative, supported by the Swedish International Development
Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
(SDC), UNDP in partnership with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)
is calling for innovative ideas, actions, and approaches to solve human
rights problems and challenges, leaving no one behind, in different thematic
issues, a UNDP press release said.

The Human Rights and Justice Programme, with funding support from SIDA and
SDC, has been working with the state-based institutions particularly the
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to strengthen its capacity to better
deliver on its mandate and the law-enforcing agencies (in particular Police)
to defend and protect human rights.

It has successfully been able to engage other stakeholders also such as
civil society organisations (CSOs), human rights defenders (HRDs), youths and
faith leaders to promote a human rights culture.

The programme has given special focus on working with most vulnerable and
marginalised groups, including women and girls, children and young people,
ethnic and religious minorities, people with disabilities, Dalit and other
excluded minorities.

This particular call encourages an approach to leave no one behind (LNOB)
to combat discrimination and inequalities in the time of COVID-19.

The thematic issues are: rights and inclusion of left-behind people in the
decision-making structures and institutional services; rights of the
minorities; women and children rights; promotion of peace, tolerance and
cultural diversity in the society; and ethnic/local language-based rights
education and radio programming.

So far, the programme has provided small grants support to 44 CSOs in 15
districts aiming to enhance their capacity and better engagement in
addressing human rights issues.

Priority districts for this year are Dhaka, Manikganj, Rajshahi, Dinajpur,
Khulna, Satkhira, Barishal, Cox’s Bazar, Mymensingh, Moulvibazar and
Habiganj.

SOURCE NEWS

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