ABA-UNDP International Legal Resource Center

April 2007

National human rights actions plans (NHRAPs) constitute one of the newest approaches for countries to establish domestic policy for upholding the fundamental human rights of their citizens and, thus, comply with their international obligations under the various treaties that they have signed and ratified. NHRAPs are meant to delineate concrete means to assess a country’s human rights situation, identify areas where improvement is necessary, and outline efforts that are to be undertaken in order to address violations and uphold human rights generally (ex. establishing grievance mechanisms, etc.). They are a realistic way to set goals, evaluate past activity, and achieve actual change in improving the protection of human rights.. NHRAPs are the natural product of the evolution of human rights instruments starting with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The notion of NHRAPs was included as a recommendation in the 1993 Vienna Declaration and Program of Action, at which point they began to receive increased international attention.

General Background

Handbook for Writing NHRAPs

• This document, produced by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), is the primary single guide to creating NHRAPs for human rights. It explains their origin and importance, as well as the principles which should be considered in their creation. It offers 11 real example plans and provides a phased guide on how to write a NHRAP. Lastly, this handbook focuses on the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of such plans.

Workshop on the Development of NHRAPs for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights

• This workshop offers a more condensed guide to the writing and implementation of NHRAPs for human rights. It comprises the conclusions reached at the 1999 Inter-sessional Workshop on National Plans of Action for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Bangkok, Thailand. It discusses the purposes of creating an NHRAP and proposes eight steps for the process of writing and implementing such a plan.

Development of a national human rights plan: the experience of Lithuania

• This UNDP publication describes the role of the UNDP in aiding Lithuania to create a national plan of action and implement it in 2002. It provides background information about Lithuania in the context of that process and discusses in detail what was required to put together the NHRAPs.

Individual Country Plans of Action

OHCHR Listing of states with NHRAPs

• This list is not entirely up to date but provides a comprehensive enumeration of countries with human rights NHRAPs. Those not included on the list or that have more updated versions are listed below. The Democratic Republic of Congo is perhaps the best example of a post-conflict (although in reality still in conflict) country implementing an NHRAP.

National Action Programme on Strengthening Human Rights in Mongolia

• This NHRAPs was adopted in October 2003 by the Mongolian Great Hural (Parliament) and is currently being implemented. It is organized into four main sections: objectives, measures to protect human rights, implementing and monitoring international human rights treaties, and administration of the program. The report was the product of collaboration between UNDP, the OHCHR, and the Government of Mongolia.

Government of Australia Guide for National Human Rights Action Plans

• This is a brief background and introduction to NHRAPs which precedes Australia’s own plan. This website links to the current plan from December 2004 which is presently being implemented. The plan is the second that Australia has completed and is divided into two main sections. The overview introduces existing human rights protections in Australia, the role of human rights in a democratic system, supporting the family, assisting disadvantaged people and promoting independence through human rights, human rights education, and promoting human rights internationally. The second half of the plan describes how the plan came into existence and then proceeds into deeper considerations of each topic mentioned in the overview. Various branches of the Australian government contributed to this plan.

2004 Nepal Human Rights Action Plan

• This April 2004 plan is an extensive program of action for human rights in Nepal. It begins with the background of the report and how human rights fit into Nepal’s most recent Five Year Development Plan. Then, it focuses on individual areas of human rights, including addressing the human rights of specific ethnic groups in Nepal. This action plan is unique because it devotes significant attention to legal reform and justice administration in support of human rights. Its final section addresses implementing and monitoring the international human rights treaties which Nepal has ratified. The plan originated in the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers.

A national action plan for human rights, 2006-2009, Government of Sweden

• This is a brief fact sheet, not an actual plan, on Sweden’s recent updated NHRAP for human rights. It discusses the basics of the plan and notes that an evaluation of the plan will be undertaken in 2010. The evaluation will be completed by a delegation on human rights that was established concurrently with this action plan. It is also noted that the government has created a website devoted entirely to human rights in Sweden.