Foreword

Effective national systems which protect and promote good governance, the rule of law, and the realization of human rights are important for sustainable human development. Among the components of such systems are governments which accept primary responsibility for the promotion and protection of human rights and the functioning of independent National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) which conform with the Paris Principles

The UN is currently providing NHRIs in more than sixty countries with technical assistance. This is a strategic priority for us. NHRIs can help ensure that national development, poverty reduction, and MDG policies and strategies are not only grounded within human rights, but also are implemented according to human rights' standards and principles. NHRIs are also the best mechanism at the country level to ensure adherence to international human rights' commitments states make, including to those from the UN Treaty Bodies, special procedure mandate holders, and the UN Human Rights Council. NHRIs have a crucial role to play in advocating for those responsibilities to be translated into law and practice.

UNDP and OHCHR have developed this practical guide for UN staff on how best to support NHRIs with policy advice, technical assistance, and capacity development support from the pre-establishment phase. It includes information on country planning processes and capacity assessments, identifies challenges and opportunities NHRIs may encounter, and suggests how to deal with situations which threaten to undermine their effectiveness.

This toolkit is the result of a two year long process of research and consultation which has benefited from review and validation by NHRIs, UNDP and OHCHR staff, and numerous NHRI practitioners. A Core Support Group composed of the National Human Rights Commissions of India, South Africa, and Uganda, as well as the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR), oversaw the drafting process. The result is a practical and informative guide tailored to meet the needs of UN staff.

The NHRIs recognized the initiative in the 2008 Nairobi Declaration, adopted during the 9th International Conference of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Nairobi, Kenya.

The UN Secretary General, in his 2009 General Assembly Report on national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights, welcomed the development of the Toolkit as way to foster “strong partnerships system-wide to build on the capacities and expertise of United Nations entities” in supporting NHRIs.

The toolkit is now in your hands. We hope it will provide practical guidance in the process of developing NHRIs and strengthening those existing already, in line with the relevant international standards. We are convinced that the more the UN system works with and through NHRIs, the greater the degree of national ownership of human rights, and the more effective and sustainable good governance, rule of law, and human rights programmes become.