Chapter 1
Introducing National Human
Rights Institutions

Chapter 2
Models of NHRIs

Chapter 3
Roles and Responsabilities of
NHRIs

Chapter 4
The Rule of Law and the NHRI

Chapter 5
NHRIs, Development and
Democratic Governance

Chapter 6
Situating NHRI Support in the UN Planning & Programming Process

Chapter 7
Pre-establishment Phase of NHRIs

Chapter 8
Establishing NHRIs

Chapter 9
Consolidation Phase:
Strengthening the Mature NHRI

Chapter 10
Paris Principles and Accreditation

1.2.1 The Emergence of NHRIs

In many countries, NHRIs have worked for decades, operating under national laws that were inspired or influenced by international human rights law. In the last fifteen years, however, the number of NHRIs has surged around the world, largely as a result of the United Nations’ push to support these institutions “on the ground.” In particular, as shown by Figure 1: Year of NHRI Establishment the responses showed that the number of NHRIs began to grow in the Americas in the early 1990s, in Africa in the mid-1990s and in the Asia Pacific in the late 1990s, while Europe has seen a steady growth since the mid 1990s.1

fig1

Source: OHCHR, Survey of National Human Rights Institutions. 2009.

 

 

 

 

 

1 OHCHR, Survey of National Human Rights Institutions: Report on the Findings and Recommendations of a Questionnaire Addressed to NHRIs Worldwide. 2009.