“While noting the information from the Ombudsman that it advises the government on ratification of international human rights treaties, the SCA reiterates its observation that the Law does not provide the Ombudsman with an explicit mandate to encourage ratification or accession to international and regional human rights instruments.

Encouraging ratification of or accession to international human rights instruments and advocating for effective implementation is a key function of an NHRI which the SCA considers should form part of the legislative mandate of an NHRI.

The SCA recommends that the Ombudsman advocates for the appropriate amendments to its enabling law to include an explicit mandate to encourage ratification or accession to international and regional human rights instruments and their effective implementation.

The SCA refers to General Observation 1.3 on ‘Encouraging ratification or accession to international human rights instruments’.”