Thematic Areas

GANHRI brings together and supports NHRIs to promote and protect human rights.

The first pillar of GANHRI’s strategic plan (2017-2019) identifies eight thematic areas, with the strategic priority, to influence human rights debates at regional and international level.

Business and Human Rights

As independent institutions with broad mandates to promote and protect human rights under the Paris Principles, National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) have an important role to play in the business and human rights field, both individually, through action at national level, and via advocacy and collective actions, in the UN system and other international fora.

Migration

GANHRI ensured respect for the rights of migrants. No State can deal with migration in isolation and, of course, State sovereignty must always be respected. GANHRI and its members are committed to the full implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. GANHRI’s participation in the working group on national action plans, through the UN Network on Migration, gives us the opportunity to assist States to meet their commitments under the Global Compact while working closely with our partners.

Persons with Disability

GANHRI established a Working Group and engaged closely with the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Conference of State Parties to the Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Gender Equality

NHRIs committed to supporting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) shortly after their adoption. They do so, inter alia, by contributing to combating gender-based violence against women and, in 2012, pledged to prioritize women’s human rights in their work.

Rights of older persons

NHRIs, in line with their Paris Principles-based mandates, can provide an important means to fill the existing promotion and protection gaps related to older persons. Many NHRIs are engaged in monitoring the human rights of older persons. Monitoring helps to identify the diverse issues older persons encounter and their particular vulnerabilities.

Shrinking democratic space

NHRIs collaborate with civil society, human rights defenders and relevant UN mechanisms such as the Special Rapporteurs on the issue of shrinking democratic space (documentation of national experiences) and treaty bodies. An annual report on shrinking democratic space for civil society and NHRIs is published on the occasion of the HLPF for Sustainable Development.

NHRIs in Conflict and Post-Conflict

NHRIs, as mechanisms that are independent from the government, can play a key role in preventing conflicts and ensuring respect for human rights and their protection in conflict and post-conflict situations.

Sustainable Development Goals

Given their unique mandate and role, NHRIs can play a key role in the implementation and follow-up of the Agenda, and are at the core of the SDG ‘web of accountability’. Their monitoring mandates give them a unique position to act as both watchdog and advisor in order to uphold the human rights embedded in the SDGs.