“The CAHR enabling law still provides a limited promotion mandate. However, the SCA notes that the CAHR undertakes a wide range of promotional activities in practice, including awareness campaigns and issuance of public statements.

Moreover, Article 2 of the enabling law limits CAHR power to investigate complaints against a number of public officials, such as the President, Attorney General, Auditor General, Central Bank Governor, Public Service Commission as well as minister in relation to actions of general governmental policy.

The SCA is of the view that a NHRI should be legislatively mandated with specific functions to both promote and protect human rights. It understands ‘promotion’ to include those functions which seek to create a society where human rights are more broadly understood and respected. Such functions may include education, training, advising, public outreach and advocacy. ‘Protection’ functions may be understood as those that address and seek to prevent actual human rights violations. Such functions include monitoring, inquiring, investigating and reporting on human rights violations, and may include individual complaint handling.

The SCA encourages the CAHR to advocate for appropriate amendments to its enabling law to make its promotional and protection mandate explicit and broad.”