National Human Rights Institutions

A/RES/76/170No PDF available

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 74bHuman rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, published in 2022.

What other versions does this mandate have?

8 versions · 2018–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/RES/80/214

2025A/RES/80/214National human rights institutionsLatestCompare with previous version
2024A/HRC/RES/57/23National human rights institutionsCompare with previous version
2023A/RES/78/204National human rights institutionsCompare with previous version
2022A/RES/76/170National human rights institutionsCompare with previous version
2022A/HRC/RES/51/31National human rights institutionsCompare with previous version

Versions are identified automatically by matching titles within the same organ (~97% accuracy on a manual audit).

What subjects does this mandate have?

2 topics

Human Rights Advancement Human Rights Institutions

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

1 report of the Secretary-General submitted under this mandate, 2023.

2023A/78/182National institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights report of the Secretary-General

Identified automatically from the metadata in each report’s UN Digital Library catalogue record.

What does this mandate say?

29 operative paragraphs

Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General, and welcomes the further inclusion of examples of good practices from national human rights institutions;

Reaffirms the importance of the development of effective, independent and pluralistic national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights, in accordance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles);

Recognizes the role of independent national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights in working together with Governments to ensure full respect for human rights at the national level, including by contributing to follow-up actions, as appropriate, to the recommendations resulting from the international human rights mechanisms;

Acknowledges that, in the performance of their key functions, in accordance with their mandates and in line with the Paris Principles, national human rights institutions are contributing to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;

Welcomes the increasingly important role of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights in supporting cooperation between their Governments and the United Nations in the promotion and protection of human rights;

Underlines the value of national human rights institutions, established and operating in accordance with the Paris Principles, in the continued monitoring of existing legislation and in consistently informing the State about the impact of such legislation on the activities of human rights defenders, including by making relevant and concrete recommendations;

Recognizes the role that national human rights institutions can play in preventing and addressing cases of reprisal or intimidation as part of supporting the cooperation between their Governments and the United Nations in the promotion of human rights, including by contributing to follow-up actions, as appropriate, to recommendations made by international human rights mechanisms, and in that regard takes note of the Marrakech Declaration adopted at the thirteenth International Conference of National Human Rights Institutions;

Also recognizes that, in accordance with the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, it is the right of each State to choose the framework for national institutions that is best suited to its particular needs at the national level in order to promote human rights in accordance with international human rights standards;

Encourages all Member States to establish effective, independent and pluralistic national institutions or, where they already exist, to strengthen them, in line with the Paris Principles, for the promotion and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, as outlined in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, and welcomes the growing number of States establishing national human rights institutions in line with the Paris Principles, including as one of the means for accelerating and guaranteeing progress for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is also the blueprint for COVID-19 response and recovery;

Encourages national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights established by Member States to continue to play an active role in preventing and combating all violations of human rights as enumerated in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and relevant international human rights instruments;

Stresses that national human rights institutions and their respective members and staff should not face any form of reprisal or intimidation, including political pressure, physical intimidation, harassment or unjustifiable budgetary limitations, as a result of activities undertaken in accordance with their respective mandates, including when taking up individual cases or when reporting on serious or systematic violations in their countries, and calls upon States to promptly and thoroughly investigate cases of alleged reprisal or intimidation against members or staff of national human rights institutions or against individuals who cooperate or seek to cooperate with them and to bring perpetrators to justice;

Recognizes the role played by national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Human Rights Council, including its universal periodic review mechanism, in both preparation and follow-up, and the special procedures, in accordance with Council resolutions 5/1 and 5/2 of 18 June 2007 and Commission on Human Rights resolution 2005/74 of 20 April 2005, and in the human rights treaty bodies, as well as the strengthening of opportunities for such participation stipulated in the outcome of the review of the work and functioning of the Council annexed to Council resolution 16/21 of 25 March 2011 and adopted in General Assembly resolution 65/281 of 17 June 2011;

Welcomes the contribution of national human rights institutions compliant with the Paris Principles to the work of the United Nations, including of the Commission on the Status of Women, the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing and the intergovernmental process of the General Assembly on strengthening and enhancing the effective functioning of the human rights treaty body system;

Encourages national human rights institutions compliant with the Paris Principles to continue to participate in and to contribute to deliberations in all relevant United Nations mechanisms and processes in accordance with their respective mandates, including the discussions on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;

Encourages all relevant United Nations mechanisms and processes, in accordance with their respective mandates, including the Economic and Social Council, including the Commission on the Status of Women, and the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the high-level political forum on sustainable development and related global and regional processes, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals Summit, to further enhance the participation of national human rights institutions compliant with the Paris Principles and to allow for their contribution to these United Nations mechanisms and processes, bearing in mind the relevant provisions dealing with their participation contained in General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006, Human Rights Council resolutions 5/1, 5/2 and 16/21 and Commission on Human Rights resolution 2005/74;

Encourages all other relevant United Nations forums and meetings, in accordance with their respective mandates, existing rules of procedure and modalities, to provide for the engagement of national human rights institutions compliant with the Paris Principles and to allow for their contribution to these forums and meetings;

Invites the human rights treaty bodies, within their respective mandates and in accordance with the treaties establishing these mechanisms, to provide for ways to ensure the effective and enhanced participation by national human rights institutions compliant with the Paris Principles at all relevant stages of their work;

Encourages all United Nations human rights mechanisms and relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes to work, within their respective mandates, with Member States and national institutions in the promotion and protection of human rights with respect to, inter alia, projects in the area of good governance and the rule of law, welcomes in this regard the efforts made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to develop partnerships in support of national institutions, including the tripartite partnership between the Office of the High Commissioner, the United Nations Development Programme and the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, and in this respect encourages all United Nations human rights mechanisms and relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes to enhance their interaction with national human rights institutions, including by facilitating their access to relevant information and documentation;

Stresses the importance of the financial and administrative independence and stability of national human rights institutions, notes with satisfaction the efforts of those States that have provided their national institutions with more autonomy and independence, including by giving them an investigative role or enhancing such a role, and encourages other Governments to consider taking similar steps;

Underlines the importance of the autonomy and independence of ombudsman institutions, encourages increased cooperation between national human rights institutions and regional and international associations of ombudsmen, and encourages ombudsman institutions to actively draw on the standards enumerated in international instruments and the Paris Principles to strengthen their independence and increase their capacity to act as national human rights protection mechanisms;

Commends the high priority given by the Office of the High Commissioner to work on national human rights institutions, encourages the High Commissioner, in view of the expanded activities relating to national institutions, to ensure that appropriate arrangements are made and budgetary resources provided to continue and further extend activities in support of national institutions, and invites States to contribute additional voluntary funds to that end;

Welcomes the important role played by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, in close cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner, in assisting, when requested, in the establishment of, and in strengthening the compliance of, national human rights institutions with the Paris Principles, in assessing the conformity of national human rights institutions with the Paris Principles and in providing technical assistance to strengthen national human rights institutions, upon request, with a view to enhancing the compliance of national human rights institutions with the Paris Principles, and calls upon Member States and other stakeholders, including United Nations agencies, to follow up on the recommendations of the Subcommittee on Accreditation of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, with a view to enabling national human rights institutions to fully comply with the Paris Principles in both law and practice;

Encourages national institutions, including ombudsman and mediator institutions, to seek accreditation status through the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions;

Encourages all Member States to take appropriate steps to promote the exchange of information and experience concerning the establishment and effective operation of national human rights institutions and to support the work of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions and its regional coordinating networks in this regard, including through support for the relevant technical assistance programmes of the Office of the High Commissioner;

Requests the Secretary-General to continue to provide support to national human rights institutions compliant with the Paris Principles, as they engage with relevant United Nations mechanisms and processes, with full respect for their respective mandates, and with a view to enabling their most effective contributions, in order to further the implementation of international human rights obligations and commitments;

Urges the Secretary-General to continue to give high priority to requests from Member States for assistance in the establishment and strengthening of national human rights institutions in line with the Paris Principles, including as one of the means of accelerating and guaranteeing progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and encourages the Secretary-General to strengthen cooperation between the United Nations and the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions in this regard;

Calls upon the Secretary-General to continue to encourage national human rights institutions to interact with and advocate independent participation in all relevant United Nations mechanisms and processes, in accordance with their respective mandates, existing rules of procedure and modalities;

Requests the Secretary-General to continue to provide the assistance necessary for holding international and regional meetings of national institutions, including meetings of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, in cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner;

Also requests the Secretary-General, in consultation with Member States and national human rights institutions, to report to the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session on the implementation of the present resolution, including on best practices among national human rights institutions.

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Who created this mandate?

What other versions does this mandate have?

What subjects does this mandate have?

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

What does this mandate say?

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