Administrative measures include:
• Encouraging measures to promote the participation of women in politics and
governance;
• Organization of support groups and projects to assist victims of violence against
women;
• Action on sexual harassment;
• Arrangements to protect migrant workers;
• Incorporation of the gender perspective at all levels of education and in the health
system.
The plan also provides for actions in other areas that would help alleviate the
problems identified.
The implementation mechanisms for the plan include the creation of inter-agency
“Sectoral Working Groups” that would operate in conjunction with the PCHR to
oversee relevant activities. Another important feature of the Philippines plan is the
importance attached to the monitoring and review process, under the oversight of the
PCHR. This continuing review of the plan has involved a frank assessment of
progress and obstacles and has contributed to the plan’s overall effectiveness.
The plan does not give separate attention to human rights education. However, the
Philippines already has a wide-ranging programme in this area, which has won the
PCHR a UNESCO prize for human rights education. In addition, the President of the
Philippines declared 1998-2007 a Human Rights Education Decade. Within this
framework, the PCHR has put in place an ambitious programme of education and
inter-agency cooperation.
4.5
Brazil (1997)
The Brazilian “National Action Plan for Human Rights” is set out in a 17-page
document. The plan was drafted on the initiative of the President. Its development
reflected Brazil’s prominent role at the Vienna World Conference. It was prepared
over a period of two years by the Ministry of Justice together with several
organizations of civil society. The preparation included seminars and debates.
It begins with a Preamble and an Introduction, which assert the fundamental
importance of human rights in the life of the nation and outline the process whereby
the plan was developed. The plan takes a comprehensive approach to human rights,
although it focuses on civil rights. It indicates an intention to be realistic in its
objectives. While it does not attempt a systematic assessment of current human rights
problems, it refers to them frequently in passing as justification for various proposed
actions.
The bulk of the plan consists of Proposals for Government Action, which are
structured around major issues and vulnerable groups and are divided into proposals
that can be addressed in the short term and those relating to the medium term. There
are over 130 separate proposals. Many of these address the needs of youth, women,
the black population, indigenous people, foreigners, Brazilian communities abroad,
older persons and persons with disabilities. Others address civil rights issues such as
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