UN Resolutions on national human rights institutions

Each alternate year, the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council pass a respective resolution reaffirming international support for NHRIs and encouraging all States to establish them.

The resolutions welcome and further encourage the participation of NHRIs across UN mechanisms and processes. They also recognize the important and unique role of NHRIs to monitor, advise, promote and protect human rights at the national level.

The resolutions have expressed concern at increasing reports of cases of reprisals and other acts of intimidation against NHRIs, their members and staff as a result of work carried out according to their mandate. They have called on States to investigate these cases and bring perpetrators to justice.

The General Assembly and the Human Rights Council have also welcomed the important role played by GANHRI and regional networks of NHRIs, as well as encouraged the UN Human Rights Office to continue supporting their activities.

The 2019 NHRI resolution, adopted by General Assembly (GA 74/156) reiterated its call for all States to establish and strengthen independent, effective and pluralist NHRIs, in line with the Paris Principles, including as a means to guarantee and accelerate progress for the implementation of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.

The establishment of NHRIs in-country and their participation internationally has been continuously supported and further encouraged by the UN Secretary-General in its regular reports on NHRIs, as well as in other reports including his SDGs progress reports.

The resolutions are generally adopted with wide, cross-regional co-sponsorship and unanimous support, thereby reflecting broad universal agreement about the importance and value that each State has a strong, effective and Paris Principles-compliant NHRI.

Treaty monitoring bodies have supported these calls, regularly including recommendations to establish or strengthen NHRIs in their concluding observations. Similarly, the Special Procedures and the Universal Periodic Review also include recommendations for States to establish and strengthen NHRIs in line with the Paris Principles.

2020 resolution

The resolution on NHRIs presented by Australia to the 45^th session of the Human Rights Council in September 2020, inter alia, highlights the role and contributions of NHRIs in addressing the human rights impacts of COVID-19 and response and recovery measures.

2021 resolution

The resolution – led by Germany with the support of 88 co-sponsoring States from all regions – highlights the important contribution made by NHRIs to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. For the first time, a specific reference to the participation of NHRIs in meetings of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, is being made.  

2022 resolution

The resolution adopted by the 51st UN Human Rights Council welcomed the critical contributions of national human rights institutions in monitoring, reporting and advising governments and other stakeholders on climate action that is based on human rights.

Led by Australia, the resolution highlights the important role of NHRIs in assisting States to adopt effective frameworks to protect the human rights of all individuals, without discrimination, and highlights the particularly vulnerable situations of Indigenous Peoples to the impacts of climate change.

It also encourages all relevant United Nations mechanisms and processes including ECOSOC and HLPF to further enhance NHRIs’ participation in their work and highlights the important contribution of NHRIs in following-up recommendations of UN mechanism and processes.

2023 resolution

The resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly has recognized the vital contribution of national human rights institutions to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including by taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

The resolution highlights the important role of NHRIs “in monitoring, reporting to and advising government bodies and other stakeholders in relation to climate mitigation and adaptation” and promote implementation of international human rights obligations.

It calls for States to increase the pace with which Paris Principles-compliant NHRIs are established, noting that NHRIs can help States “fast-track vital protection and other services to those left behind”.

The resolution further states that NHRIs should not face reprisals or intimidation for undertaking work in accordance with their mandate. It calls on States to promptly investigate cases of alleged reprisal and intimidation against NHRI members and staff, or those who cooperate with NHRIs.

2024 resolution

The resolution 57/23 on NHRIs, led by Australia and Timor Leste, was adopted by consensus at the 57th UN Human Rights Council. The resolution highlights the critical role of NHRIs in promoting, protecting, and monitoring the rights of persons with disabilities, in close cooperation with their representative organizations.

The resolution further noted “the importance of the representation of women with disabilities in the leadership of both independent monitoring frameworks and national human rights institutions.”

2025 resolution

Resolution 80/214 adopted by the UN General Assembly recognises the vital contribution of NHRIs to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with an emphasis on promoting and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities.

Marking the 20^th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2026, the resolution welcomes NHRIs’ contributions to “promoting, protecting, monitoring, and reporting on the rights of all persons with disabilities” and encourages States to designate NHRIs as independent monitoring mechanisms under the Convention.

The resolution emphasises that the pace of establishing Paris Principles-compliant NHRIs must be increased and encourages all Member States to establish effective, independent, pluralistic and adequately resources NHRIs or, where they already exist, to strengthen them. It also calls on the High Commissioner to ensure appropriate arrangements are made and budgetary resources provided in support of NHRIs and their networks, including the work of the Subcommittee on Accreditation of GANHRI.

The resolution welcomes opportunities for NHRIs to contribute to key UN bodies, including the high-level political forum on sustainable development, the Commission on the Status of Women, the Conference of the States Parties to the CRPD, and the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. It calls upon the Secretary-General to continue to encourage NHRIs to advocate for independent participation in all relevant UN mechanisms and processes.

Referencing the Pact for the Future, the resolution stresses that NHRIs should not face reprisals or intimidation for undertaking work in accordance with their mandate. It calls on States to promptly investigate cases of alleged reprisals and intimidation against NHRI members and staff, and to “ensure access to effective remedies and protection measures for victims.”