Human Rights Council Office in Dhaka under process: MoFA
Diplomatic Correspondent :
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the process of setting up a temporary United Nations Human Rights Council office in Dhaka is currently underway.
Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique disclosed this information in response to a question during a press conference at the Ministry on Wednesday.
Ruhul Alam said that when UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk visited Dhaka, it was decided that a temporary office would be opened. “Its primary role would be to assist in implementing the recommendations of the Reform Commission. Setting up an office would facilitate their work,” he added.
He further added that even though there is no dedicated office in Dhaka yet, a senior adviser from the UN Human Rights Council is already working from the UN Resident Coordinator’s office.
“The UN is now requesting to increase personnel and establish a separate office. This will be temporary. That is why we are still evaluating the matter. It is under process. Once a final decision is made, you will be informed. But for now, it is being processed,” he said.
Meanwhile, during a ‘DCAB Talk’ event organized by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) at the Jatiya Press Club in the capital, UN Resident Coordinator Gwyn Lewis stated that the UN Human Rights Council is soon going to open a small office in Dhaka.
“A memorandum of understanding (MoU) from the Bangladesh government is in its final stage. We are waiting for it to be signed. We hope it will be signed soon,” she said.
“We will open a small office in Bangladesh, through which we can assist the country in various processes,” she added. During the visit of Volker Türk in October last year, the plan to open a Human Rights Council office in Dhaka was discussed.
After a meeting with Turk, Social Welfare Adviser Sharmin S. Murshid said, “A major decision has been made-an office of the UN Human Rights Council will be opened here. The biggest benefit for us would be that the Council can directly investigate human rights violations.”