Mozambique has signed a Host Country Agreement with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), paving the way for the establishment of a permanent UN human rights office in Maputo.
The agreement was concluded in Geneva between Justice Minister Mateus Saize and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.
Saize said the new office will support Mozambique in developing and implementing policies and programmes to strengthen human rights protections, in line with the UN Charter and the High Commissioner’s mandate.
Türk described the agreement as a “strong basis” for future cooperation and said the UN looks forward to rapid implementation.
The government said the new OHCHR office will provide technical advice as Mozambique works to improve rights protections and address persistent gaps.
Saize reaffirmed Mozambique’s confidence in the Human Rights Council as a platform for international cooperation and said the country remains committed to upholding universal human rights standards.
Mozambique is preparing to present its national report for the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review on 5 May, covering developments from 2021 to 2025. Saize said the report acknowledges progress but also highlights ongoing challenges.
He added that Mozambique is advancing processes to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and to accede to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Saize has been attending the 61st session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, where 47 member states meet three times a year to review global human rights issues.
The signing of the Host Country Agreement took place on the sidelines of the session.
JN/APA