OHCHR builds capacity of youth with disabilities on human rights

The Regional Office for Central Asia of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR/ROCA) kick-started a “School on human rights and advocacy on the rights of persons with disabilities.” The initiative is part of the ongoing public awareness campaign commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

The School will involve 18 young people with various forms of disability for a period of six months, with a view to enhance their knowledge and skills on human rights, the UN Strategy on Youth, international approaches to equality and non-discrimination, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and advocacy on the rights of persons with disabilities. An assigned mentor will accompany the participants of the School and support them with their homework and through regular coordination.

“As we commemorate this year the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is important to support a reflection about the meaning of equality and respect for human dignity,”– said Fabio Piana, OHCHR/ROCA Regional Representative a.i. “I hope that training and advocacy activities of the school will help to strengthen the capacity of civil society in the field of human rights and to increase the participation of persons with disabilities in the society.”

The school will benefit from the knowledge of international and national experts. After a series of trainings, participants will be provided with the opportunity to apply their newly acquired advocacy skills in practice by implementing their own initiatives in the field of promoting the rights of persons with disabilities in Turkmenistan.

The 75th anniversary of the UDHR (Human Rights 75) will be celebrated on 10 December 2023. The UDHR 75 initiative is coordinated by the UN High Commissioner Office on Human Rights and its partners.