National Institutions for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights

A/RES/58/175View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 117b Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, published in 2004.

What other versions does this mandate have?

8 versions · 1984–2004

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2004	A/RES/58/175	National institutions for the protection and promotion of human rights	1,337	—
1992	A/RES/46/124	National institutions for the protection and promotion of human rights	—	—
1990	A/RES/44/64	National institutions for the protection and promotion of human rights	—	—
1988	A/RES/42/116	National institutions for the protection and promotion of human rights	646	32%Compare
1987	A/RES/41/129	National institutions for the protection and promotion of human rights	550	84%Compare

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

1 report · 2005

Year	Symbol	Title		Mandate resolution
2005	A/60/299	National institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights report of the Secretary-General		A/RES/58/175

What subjects does this mandate have?

18 subjects

Advisory Services Conferences Coordination Within UN System Financing Human Rights Advancement Human Rights Education Human Rights Institutions Human Rights Violations Information Dissemination Information Exchange Institution Building Laws and Regulations Non-Governmental Organizations Principles Report Preparation Technical Cooperation Trust Funds Websites

What’s in this document?

22 operative paragraphs

Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General;⁵

⁵A/58/261.

Reaffirms the importance of the development of effective, independent and pluralistic national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights, in keeping with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (“the Paris Principles”), contained in the annex to resolution 48/134 of 20 December 1993;

Reiterates, on the tenth anniversary of their recognition by the General Assembly, the continued importance of the Paris Principles, recognizes the value of further strengthening their application, where appropriate, and encourages States, national institutions and other interested parties to consider ways to achieve this;

Recognizes that, in accordance with the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action,1 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 Member States to establish or, where they already exist, to strengthen national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights, as outlined in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action;

Welcomes the growing number of States establishing or considering the establishment of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights;

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 instruments;

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;

Reaffirms the role of national institutions, where they exist, as appropriate agencies, inter alia, for the dissemination of human rights materials and other public information activities, including those of the United Nations, in particular in the context of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education, 1995–2004;

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 as part of the United Nations Programme of Advisory Services and Technical Assistance in the Field of Human Rights;

Commends the high priority given by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to work on national 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 human rights institutions, and invites Governments to contribute additional funds to the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights for that purpose;

Welcomes the establishment of a national institutions web site⁶ as an important vehicle for the delivery of information to national institutions and for sharing best practice, and further notes with satisfaction the intention of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to publish a compendium of national legislation relevant to national institutions;

⁶www.nhri.net (National Human Rights Institutions Forum).

Notes with appreciation the increasingly active and important role of the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions, as recognized in Commission on Human Rights resolution 1994/54 of 4 March l994,⁷ in close cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in assisting Governments and national institutions, when requested, to follow up on relevant resolutions and recommendations concerning the strengthening of national institutions;

⁷See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1994, Supplement No. 4 and corrigendum (E/1994/24 and Corr.1), chap. II, sect. A.

Also notes with appreciation the holding of regular meetings of the International Coordinating Committee and the arrangements for the participation of national human rights institutions in the annual sessions of the Commission on Human Rights;

Requests the Secretary-General to continue to provide the necessary assistance for holding meetings of the International Coordinating Committee during the sessions of the Commission on Human Rights, in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights;

Welcomes the continuation of the practice of national institutions convening regional meetings in some regions, and its initiation in others, and encourages national institutions, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to organize similar events with Governments and non-governmental organizations in their own regions;

Requests the Secretary-General to continue to provide, including from the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation, the necessary assistance for holding international and regional meetings of national institutions;

Recognizes the important and constructive role that non-governmental organizations may play, in cooperation with national institutions, for better promotion and protection of human rights;

Expresses its appreciation to those Governments that have contributed additional resources for the purpose of the establishment and strengthening 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 institutions;

Encourages all United Nations entities, funds and agencies to work in close cooperation with national institutions in the promotion and protection of human rights;

Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its sixtieth session on the implementation of the present resolution.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

Table of contents