10 \ outline of protection initiatives The work for increased awareness is in line with the human development goals delineated in the MTS, and seeks to change the way UNRWA’s service delivery is discussed. (For example: UNRWA does not just provide educational opportunities to nearly 500.000 Palestine refugees: UNRWA protects the right to knowledge and skills of nearly 500.000 Palestine refugees through its delivery of educational programming.) The work will specifically contribute to UNRWA’s strategic objectives12 and 13: • • Ensure Service delivery meets the protection needs of beneficiaries, including vulnerable groups. Safeguard and advance the rights of Palestinian refugees by promoting respect for human rights, international humanitarian law and international refugee law. Interaction with the International Human Rights System (IHRS) As part of its protection work, UNRWA considers the IHRS (e.g. the High Commissioner for Human Rights and her Office; Treaty Bodies; Special Rapporteurs) a strategic avenue to advance protection of human rights of Palestine refugees. In this regard, the Agency has recently adopted a Framework to promote efficient, effective and coordinated Agency interaction with the IHRS. The Framework identifies and prioritizes interactions with the most effective international human rights mechanisms, on Agency © John Torday/ UNRWA archives protection priorities, and where the Agency can provide timely, factual and reliable information (e.g. economic, social and cultural rights of Palestine refugees such as the rights to adequate housing, health, education, water, and an adequate standard of living). Interactions include input into various IHRS reports, processes and focused meetings in Geneva, where the centre of the IHRS is located, and New York. The strategy and its implementation will contribute to UNRWA’s Human Development Goal 4 Human Rights Enjoyed to the fullest, more specifically to strategic objective 13: • Safeguard and advance the rights of Palestine refugees by promoting respect for human rights, international humanitarian law and international refugee law. Further, the UNRWA Midterm Strategy recognizes that: “Within the limits of its mandate, UNRWA has an important role to play in (….) monitoring violations and interventions to press for remedial action; (…) reporting to bodies potentially able to affect protection outcomes”. In a broader sense, Agency interaction with the IHRS is part of the general commitment of all parts of the United Nations to promote human rights and fundamental freedoms.17 17 See, for example, 2005 World Summit Outcome, General Assembly res. 60/1 of 15 Sep. 2005, para 119