UN staff, including eight OHCHR colleagues, detained in Yemen
OHCHR calls for their immediate release.
National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) play a crucial role in promoting and monitoring the effective implementation of international human rights standards at the national level. For instance, NHRIs:
In order to be effective and recognized by the international community, NHRIs must adhere to the standards set out in the Paris Principles, endorsed by the UN General Assembly in 1993. The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), in collaboration with the UN Human Rights, grants membership and two levels of status based on the criteria set out in the Paris Principles.
UN Human Rights supports the establishment and strengthening of NHRIs in countries around the world. We support them in the implementation of their broad mandates to promote and protect human rights.
More specifically, the Office (see the video):
NHRIs and regional human rights mechanisms (RHRMs) are on the front lines of ensuring that human rights are upheld in the COVID-19 response by governments around the world. UN Human Rights has compiled trends and initiatives undertaken by these organizations in order to foster good practices.
Upholding human rights in times of COVID-19: What NHRIs are doing | What RHRMs are doing
UN Human Rights acts as secretariat for the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) and its Sub-Committee on Accreditation, on which the Office is a permanent observer. With 118 NHRIs as its current members and observers, GANHRI is one of the largest human rights networks worldwide. GANHRI has four regional networks of NHRIs in Africa, the Americas, the Asia Pacific and Europe.
Learn more about GANHRI and its accreditation process
The UN recognizes the significant role played by regional and sub-regional human rights arrangements in the promotion and protection of human rights. The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights in 1993, endorsed efforts to establish, strengthen and increase the effectiveness of these arrangements while at the same time stressed the importance of their cooperation with the UN human rights system. This has been reconfirmed by the UN General Assembly in several of its resolutions requesting the Secretary-General to continue to strengthen the exchanges between the UN and regional intergovernmental organizations dealing with human rights (A/RES/32/127 and A/RES/63/170).
Over the years, UN Human Rights has hosted a number of meetings and regional workshops in order to strengthen cooperation between the regional arrangements and the international human rights mechanisms.
Learn more on how UN Human Rights works to enhance cooperation with Regional human rights mechanisms
Staff members from NHRIs accredited with ‘A’ status are eligible for a six-month fellowship at the UN Human Rights Office, which permits them to gain knowledge and experience with the United Nations human rights system.
Meanwhile, RHRMs can nominate candidates for an intensive two-month fellowship. Selection of the fellows reflects gender and regional balance.
More information on the initiative