BOX 5. COLLABORATION WITH THE UNITED NATIONS The United Nations accords great importance to NHRIs as partners in promoting good governance, the rule of law and human rights and, ultimately, sustainable human development. Among other things, this is evidenced by the special role accorded to Paris Principle compliant NHRIs by the United Nations Human Rights Council (the right to speak, present documents etc.). Moreover, the United Nations has assisted more than 60 NHRIs. All of the United Nations is committed to working within a human rights-based framework which entails the development of national capacities for the promotion and protection of human rights, thus making NHRIs obvious partners for all United Nations agencies. During the consultation 20-21 June 2011 in Kuala Lumpur for NHRIs from the Asia-Pacific Forum, the many representatives from UNFPA country offices all expressed eagerness to work with NHRIs on reproductive rights issues. The following United Nations agencies and programmes can assist NHRIs: • OHCHR – works on all human rights and with NHRIs out of its National Institutions and Regional Mechanisms Section in Geneva (present on the ground in 12 regional offices, 12 national offices and with human rights advisors deployed as part of United Nations country teams); • UN Women – works on women’s rights and gender equality; • UNAIDS – works on issues relating to HIV and AIDS; • UNDP – works on development in general, including the MDGs, and has a declared intention to work with NHRIs (present in 176 countries); • UNESCO – works on issues relating to sexuality education; • UNFPA – is specifically mandated to promote and support advancement of reproductive rights all over the world (present in 126 countries); • UNICEF – works on issues relating to children and adolescents, in a whole range of civil, political, economic, social and cultural fields, including health, education, eradication of child marriage, female genital mutilation and other harmful practices, sexual violence, trafficking in children, etc.; • WHO – works on sexual and reproductive health. In light of the potential of working with NHRIs, OHCHR and UNDP in December 2010 published a joint UNDP-OHCHR Toolkit for United Nations collaboration with NHRIs. 59