UN ready to support Turkey's 'Human Rights Action Plan'

GENEVA

The UN Human Rights Office declared Friday that it is ready to assist Turkey in implementing its recent Human Rights Action Plan.

"We are aware of the adoption of a Human Rights Action Plan earlier this month in Turkey, which channels the renewed commitment of the government to improve the human rights situation in the country," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) spokeswoman Liz Throssell told Anadolu Agency.

Noting that the OHCHR was not involved in the drafting process of the plan, Throssell underlined that the document should be "read and acted upon in conformity with Turkey’s commitments to and obligations under international human rights law."

"We reiterate our continued availability to assist Turkey to uphold international standards, including through an effective implementation of this Action Plan and other judicial reforms," she added.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the plan on March 2, unveiling 11 main principles set to be carried out over the course of two years.

It was designed as a "broad-based" plan to strengthen rights protections, individual freedoms, and security, judicial independence, personal privacy, transparency, property rights, as well as protect vulnerable groups and enhance administrative and social awareness on human rights.

*Writing by Busra Nur Cakmak