State actors

Burkina Faso:

The Ministry of Justice and Human Rightsplays a key role in the national human rights system, among other things as it coordinates international human rights reporting from all resort ministries. We work with the Ministry to improve the reporting to the UN and the African system and the coordination between the various human rights actors in Burkina Faso with the goal being a sustainable state mechanism for human rights reporting and review of legislation and the capacity to implement accepted recommendations.

The National Police of Burkina Fasohas worked with us since 2013 on developing a manual on human rights to be used in the training of police officers. The integration of context-based human rights courses in the training curricula is the beginning of a process of transforming the National Police from a police force to a police service that is more service-minded and protective of citizens’ rights.

China:

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Institute of International Law (CASS)is a high-level think tank to the Chinese government and has been a key partner of the institute since 1999. CASS will monitor, review and develop recommendations addressing the problems that arise in the abolition of the Re-education through Labour (RTL) system, as well as conduct research on other forms of administrative detention, fair trial guarantees and judicial independence.

Kyrgyzstan:

Ministry of Justicehas a cross-cutting human rights mandate.

Human Rights Parliamentary Committeehas a cross-cutting human rights mandate.

The Office of the General Prosecutorhas a cross-cutting human rights mandate.

Mali:

The National Policeis not yet considered as a service protecting citizens’ rights. In 2014 Mali’s Ministry of Security and the National Director of Police decided to integrate human rights into the curricula for new recruits at the Police School and asked us to help them. We see the National Police as a potential driver of change within the security forces with respect to human rights and thus contributing to a strong national human rights system; it is also among our priority actors within the justice system.

Nepal:

The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) is the state focal point and main coordinating mechanism in the national human rights protection system in Nepal. The Human Rights and Legal Division of the OPMCM is responsible for coordinating all reporting in relation to treaty bodies and UPR and for monitoring and overseeing the implementation of observations and recommendations.

Niger:

The Ministry of Justice plays a key role in the national human rights system, among other things as it coordinates international human rights reporting from all resort ministries. We work with the Ministry to improve reporting to the UN and the African system and improve the coordination between the various human rights actors in Niger. The goal for this work is a Ministry of Justice with strong capacities to develop human rights reports and to implement accepted recommendations.

The National Policeandthe National Guardbothhave mandates to protect citizens’ rights. The police is the first part of the flow of justice: its investigations are an essential element of a human rights compliant justice system.The National Guardprotects citizens’ rights, especially those in the most remote parts of the country and those detained, as the National Guard is responsible for the management of prisons. Supported by our long-term engagement with them, both the National Police and the National Guard have integrated Human Rights into their curricula. We now help them link their intern control mechanisms to the training.

Tunisia:

The Ministry of Human Rights and Transitional Justice (MoHRTJ) (2012-2013) was established in order to contribute to the development of a human rights culture and guarantee that human rights are exercised in conformity with the international human rights obligations of Tunisia. It was merged with the Ministry of Justice in 2014. In 2012-14, the institute partnered with the Ministry to develop basic human rights knowledge and to support the development of a strategic plan on human rights, which was published in 2014.

Following the 2014 elections, the Minister delegate to the Prime Minister for Constitutional Instances and Civil Society (2015-) was mandated to continue the human rights work. The institute will look to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Minister based on the vision of the Constitution and the strategic plan on human rights.

The Inter-ministerial reporting working group was supported through a training programme devised by the institute and the OHCHR to build capacity in the Tunisian government to coordinate and draft reports for UN treaty bodies. The pilot reporting mechanism drafted at least three reports in 2014. It provided inspiration for the drafting of a legal framework for a permanent reporting mechanism The Institute will look to support the mechanism as soon as it has been established.

Yemen:

The Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR) started cooperating with us in 2007, with a focus on strengthening the ministry's influence on the protection of human rights and their integration into state structures. The goal is to develop joint proposals for how the government can promote and strengthen human rights and safeguard these rights in the constitutional process, in education, and in business. The institute and the MoHR signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) in 2012, and in 2014 we supported the process of drafting a national human rights strategy for Yemen, and developing a concept for human rights integration in school curricula.

The Ministry of Legal Affairs (MoLA)had its partnership with the institute renewed in 2014 with a focus on capacity development of MoLA staff in legal analysis, revision, and drafting. We have also supported workshops with MoLA’s management group focused on process design and subsequent drafting of its institutional strategy.

Zambia:

The Legal Services Unit (LSU)is an initiative based at the Lusaka Subordinate Court in Zambia that since January 2013 has provided legal aid services to parties in criminal cases with a particular focus on assisting women and juveniles; more than 1,000 cases were handled in each of 2013 and 2014. The Unit is based on a unique cooperation bringing together the Judiciary through the Lusaka Subordinate Court, the Legal Aid Board (a statutory body), Prisons Care & Counselling Association (a NGO) and us.

The Community Justice Project (CJP)is based on a cooperation between the Judiciary through the Directorate of Local Courts, responsible for managing and supervising over 500 Local Courts in Zambia, and us. The CJP also collaborates with the House of Chiefs, a State advisory body to the Government of Zambia on traditional and customary matters. The CJP provides for improved justice delivery to communities in Zambia based on constitutional and human rights standards. This is achieved through legal capacity development for the judiciary and customary courts, and a special focus on collaboration, cooperation and networking among justice providers at community level.