OHCHR country offices/stand-alone offices are established on the basis of a standard agreement between OHCHR and the host government. The mandate of a country office/stand-alone office includes human rights observation, protection, technical cooperation activities and public reporting. Activities of a country office are developed in consultation with the concerned government, based on an assessment of human rights concerns and the capacity of national and international actors involved in human rights work, as well as on the most effective means available to OHCHR for addressing gaps. Country and stand-alone offices are mostly funded by voluntary contributions.
Country offices vary in size, depending on the phase of deployment and the nature of the work undertaken. They report annually to the High Commissioner, and their reports are presented to the Human Rights Council in accordance with their mandate either independently or as part of the High Commissioner’s report.
At the end of 2014, OHCHR had offices in Bolivia, Cambodia, Colombia, Guatemala, Guinea, Mauritania, Mexico, the Occupied Palestinian Territories (stand-alone office), Kosovo (Serbia), Togo, Tunisia, Uganda and Yemen.
Details on the individual field presences can be found in the relevant sections of the Office Management Plan 2014-2017.