On 10 December this year, the Philippine government is set to launch the comprehensive and progressive blueprint on human rights, the Department of Justice (DoJ) and United Nations (UN) Office of the Resident Coordinator of the Philippines said in a joint announcement yesterday.

The launching of the Fourth Philippine Human Rights Plan (PHRP4) will coincide with the 100 December celebration of the International Human Rights Day.

The DoJ and the UN Office of Resident Coordinator said that PHRP4 is “a comprehensive and progressive blueprint for protecting human rights and addressing emerging human rights issues, such as the rights of older persons and human rights and climate change.”

It noted that at present, five of eight joint regional consultations for the ongoing development of the PHRP4 have been conducted involving 319 civil society organizations of various advocacies.

The PHRP4 is one of three important initiatives that the Philippine government announced during the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Geneva last December.

The other two are the Special Committee on Human Rights Coordination that was created through Administrative Order 22 that was signed by President Marcos last 8 May, and the Forensics Institute that the Philippine government seeks to establish.