Event information

31 May 2018, 17:00-18:30

Downloads

Flyer >

The Paris Principles at 25: How National Human Rights Institutions Have Contributed to Promoting and Protecting Human Rights and What They Can Do in the Future

Event

Encounter with the High Commissioner for Human Rigjhts during the annual meeting of NHRIs Encounter with the High Commissioner for Human Rigjhts during the annual meeting of NHRIs

Hosted by the Geneva Academy, the Permanent Mission of Australia, the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions

In 1993, the international community adopted the Paris Principles, encouraging states to establish national institutions for the protection and promotion of human rights. These institutions, now commonly known as National Human Rights Institutions or NHRIs, have since become an integral part of the international and national human rights systems.

NHRIs play an essential role in promoting the implementation by states of their international human rights obligations, and to translate those into lived realities for the people on the ground. In line with their mandates and functions under the Paris Principles, NHRIs help states engage meaningfully in the international human rights system and provide a source of independent analysis and accountability where states fall short in fulfilling their responsibilities.  

This event will explore the ways in which NHRIs have contributed to improving the lives of individuals around the world over the past 25 years, and the role they continue to play in promoting and protecting human rights both domestically and internationally.  

The event will also look to the future of NHRIs, and the key challenges and opportunities ahead.  Chief among these will be the way in which NHRIs engage with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and how their core work is changing to adapt to the paradigm of the Sustainable Development Goals and the principle to ‘leave no-one behind’.

Moderator

  • Dr Christophe Golay, Strategic Adviser on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and Senior Research Fellow, Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

Speakers

  • Professor Rosalind Croucher, President, Australian Human Rights Commission
  • Professor Beate Rudolf, Chairperson, Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions and Director, German Institute for Human Rights

 Light Refreshments

The presentation will be followed by light refreshments.

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

GTI Logo News

In Highlight: Global Torture Index

26 June 2025

Via its DHRTTDs Directory, the Geneva Human Rights Platform provides a comprehensive list and description of such key tools and databases. But how to navigate them? Which tool should be used for what, and by whom? This interview helps us understand better the specificities of the current highlight of the directory: Global Torture Index

Read more

GHRP in Davos News

AI and Human Rights in the Intelligent Age: GHRP in Davos

3 February 2025

The Geneva Human Rights Platform contributed to key discussions on AI, human rights, and sustainable digital governance at the World Economic Forum 2025.

Read more

Local Government Event

Enhancing National Reporting and Implementation of Human Rights through Coordinated Engagement at the Local and Regional Levels: The Role of NMIRFs

23 July 2025, 10:00-17:00

This seminar explores how national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up can better integrate the capacities, data, and experiences of local and regional governments in advancing human rights implementation and reporting.

Read more

Open dump Training

Protecting Human Rights and the Environment

15-19 September 2025

Participants in this training course will gain practical insights into UN human rights mechanisms and their role in environmental protection and learn about how to address the interplay between international human rights and environmental law, and explore environmental litigation paths.

Read more

Crops view from the sky Project

The Right to Food in Europe

Started in December 2022

This research will provide legal expertise to a variety of stakeholders on the implementation of the right to food, and on the right to food as a legal basis for just transformation toward sustainable food systems in Europe. It will also identify lessons learned from the 2023 recognition of the right to food in the Constitution of the Canton of Geneva.  

Read more

Project

Follow-up Review Pilot Series

Started in November 2021

Read more

Cover of the publication Publication

Briefing N° 25: Localizing Multilateralism

published on March 2025

Domenico Zipoli, Ludovica Chiussi Curzi, Kamelia Kemileva

Read more

Cover page of the working paper Publication

AI Decoded: Key Concepts and Applications of Artificial Intelligence for Human Rights and SDG Monitoring

published on January 2025

Milica Mirkovic, Jennifer Victoria Scurrell

Read more