National Human Rights Institutions in the UN human rights framework

Master's Thesis from the year 2013 in the subject Politics - Topic: Public International Law and Human Rights, grade: A, European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder), course: Jura - Internationale Menschenrechte und Humanitäres Recht, language: English, abstract: National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) are cornerstones of strong domestic human rights protection systems. They play a crucial role in the promotion and protection of human rights at the national level. Within their broad mandate, they advise governments on various human rights issues, monitor the implementation of international human rights instruments, promote the harmonisation of national law and practice with the international human rights standards, disseminate human rights information, cooperate with regional and international human rights bodies, and remedy human rights violations.

However, National Human Rights Institutions are primarily domestic instruments, they increasingly engage with the international human rights mechanisms. In the last 20 years, they became the practical link between international human rights standards and their concrete application at the national level. The institutions¿ interaction with the UN Charter-based and Treaty-based Bodies is a relatively new phenomenon and as such, has its obstacles.

In order to clarify the nature and ways of co-operation between NHRIs and the UN human rights monitoring mechanisms, this Handbook sets out the characteristics and role of National Human Rights Institutions in the UN human rights framework. Meanwhile, it is aiming to answer two main questions: what added value does the participation of NHRIs at the international level bring and how should the cooperation between NHRIs and the UN be strengthened in the future.