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

GHRP Diplomat Training News

Strengthening Diplomacy: GHRP Training Course Enhances Engagement with UN Human Rights

5 February 2025

The GHRP’s annual training equipped 19 diplomats with key insights into the UN Human Rights Council’s mechanisms and multilateral processes.

Read more

GHRP Ai for Good Workshop News

Exploring the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Human Rights Monitoring: Key Takeaways from the AI for Good Workshop

22 July 2025

Our event brought together human rights practitioners, data scientists, and AI experts to explore how artificial intelligence can support efforts to monitor human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals.

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

A general view of participants during of the 33nd ordinary session of the Human Rights Council. Training

The Universal Periodic Review and the UN Human Rights System: Raising the Bar on Accountability

10-14 November 2025

This training course will explore the origin and evolution of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and its functioning in Geneva and will focus on the nature of implementation of the UPR recommendations at the national level.

Read more

A session of the UN Human Rights Council Project

IHL Expert Pool

Started in January 2022

The IHL-EP works to strengthen the capacity of human rights mechanisms to incorporate IHL into their work in an efficacious and comprehensive manner. By so doing, it aims to address the normative and practical challenges that human rights bodies encounter when dealing with cases in which IHL applies.

Read more

Panel Discussion: Project

Treaty Body Members’ Platform

Started in January 2014

The Treaty Body Members’ Platform connects experts in UN treaty bodies with each other as well as with Geneva-based practitioners, academics and diplomats to share expertise, exchange views on topical questions and develop synergies.

Read more

Cover of the 2023 Geneva Academy Annual Report Publication

Annual Report 2024

published on July 2025

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