National Human Rights Institutions

Improving the national implementation of international human rights standards has long been a goal of the UN human rights system. This chapter discusses the potential and challenges of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI) as an institutional connection between the national level and international human rights mechanisms. Established under the UN Paris Principles (1993) and encouraged by the UN as promoters and protectors of human rights, NHRIs’ prominence has been increasing since the adoption of the Paris Principles. NHRIs have shown that they have great potential as partners in the domestic implementation of international human rights norms, because of their independent access to a wide range of UN and regional human rights mechanisms, coupled with national expertise and a broad mandate to improve human rights domestically. Yet, as state-established bodies, they are often approached with a level of cynicism regarding their independence and commitment to human rights. This chapter introduces the origins, roles, and functions of NHRIs and sets out the extent of their engagement with UN human rights mechanisms. Through examples of NHRI practice, it discusses what can go wrong with these institutions as international partners and what tools are available where this happens, particularly focusing on the role of the NHRI peer review process of the Global Alliance of NHRIs’ Sub-Committee on Accreditation. Finally, it examines the value of NHRIs as human rights actors and considers some of the challenges they face into the future.