Assessing the Effectiveness of National Human Rights Commissions

In 2000, the International Council published Performance & Legitimacy: National human rights institutions. National institutions had multiplied during the 1990s and the report looked at what made them effective and successful.

Five years later, despite unfavourable developments in the international human rights environment, the growth of national institutions is unchecked. The present report revisits the issue of effectiveness and examines how national institutions might improve their performance and impact by using benchmarks and indicators to assess their work.

The Introduction describes types of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) and the report’s methodology. It reviews the standards set for national institutions that are codified in the Paris Principles. It also defines what is meant by ‘benchmarks’ and ‘indicators’.

Chapter I draws out the characteristics that make NHRIs effective and proposes some benchmarks that they might use to evaluate their compliance with the Paris Principles.

Chapter II examines quantitative and qualitative indicators and suggests how national institutions can use them to assess their performance and impact and judge whether they are achieving the benchmarks identified in
Chapter I.

The final chapter offers some brief observations in conclusion.

Download the report here.

This post is in: NHRC Monitor