During a high-level meeting at the United Nations in New York, Amina Bouayach, President of Morocco's National Human Rights Council and Chair of GANHRI (the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions), met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to highlight the central role NHRIs play in responding to growing global challenges and in advancing the human rights agenda. Bouayach expressed GANHRI's support for the Secretary-General's efforts to place human rights at the heart of the UN system, praising both his «Call to Action for Human Rights» and the «Pact for the Future» as key reference documents for national institutions. «Human rights must not be an afterthought, they should be a priority», Bouayach said. She emphasized that NHRIs, operating in over 120 countries, are in direct contact with victims and local communities, and are uniquely placed to bring grassroots voices into national and international policy spaces. As part of her advocacy efforts in New York, Bouayach submitted two proposals: first, to grant NHRIs formal participation in UN meetings in New York, especially those under ECOSOC, the High-Level Political Forum, and the Commission on the Status of Women. Second, she called for their inclusion in the «UN80» initiative, stressing the need to rebalance the UN's three pillars, security, development, and human rights, by placing rights at the center of future reforms. She also welcomed GANHRI's collaboration with OHCHR and UNDP to strengthen NHRI capacities. «In these critical times», Bouayach concluded, «GANHRI remains committed to promoting and protecting human rights and calls on the UN to ensure strong and independent institutions across the globe».
