On 1 July 2011, Ms Navanethem Pillay, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, presented the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) Annual Report for 2010. The first part of the report discusses the six main priorities of the office: discrimination; impunity and the rule of law; poverty and economic, social and cultural rights; migration; armed conflict and insecurity; and finally, human rights mechanisms.

On 1 July 2011, Ms Navanethem Pillay, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, presented the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) Annual Report for 2010. The first part of the report discusses the six main priorities of the office: discrimination; impunity and the rule of law; poverty and economic, social and cultural rights; migration; armed conflict and insecurity; and finally, human rights mechanisms. The first part also summarises the results of OHCHR’s 11 main goals for 2010. The second part of the report discusses management of OHCHR and the third part addresses OHCHR’s financial situation.

In her brief statement, Ms Pillay said she was encouraged by the increase in the number of special sessions at the Council and she expressed her pleasure with the international progress being made on gender and LGBTI issues. Ms Pillay focused much of her speech on the lack of funds available to OHCHR. She noted that OHCHR was given an additional two mandates this year, on freedom of association and assembly as well as on the protection of women, raising its total to forty-one, and that the increase in mandate without additional funds, together with the depletion of the contingency fund, has forced OHCHR to seek extra-budgetary income. Voluntary funding decreased from US $118.1 million in 2009 to US $109.4 million in 2010. Ms Pillay expressed disappointment in the fact that only US $65 million has been voluntarily donated to her office so far in 2011, which is less than half of the US $150 million OHCHR estimates it needs to carry out its mandate for this year. When asked if OHCHR was willing to receive private donations, Ms Pillay said it was an option that they were willing to consider and explore.