National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting and Follow-up

Background

One of the important developments in the field of human rights is the emergence of National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting and Follow-up (NMIRFs). These are government structures mandated to coordinate and prepare reports to, and engage with, international and regional human rights mechanisms, including the UN Treaty Bodies, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and Special Procedures. They also address the implementation gap by initiating, coordinating and tracking national follow-up and implementation of obligations and recommendations emanating from these mechanisms.

Although the concept of national mechanisms is not recent, States and the United Nations have in recent years put more focus on establishing and reinforcing these national mechanisms as reflected in OHCHR’s publications on National Mechanisms for Reporting and Follow-up: A Study of State engagement with International Human Rights Mechanisms; and A Practical Guide to Effective State Engagement with International Human Rights Mechanisms, bothpublished in 2016.

The establishment of NMIRFs was a key recommendation of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ report on treaty body strengthening in 2012 (A/66/860), paving the way for GA resolution 68/268 on “Strengthening and enhancing the effective functioning of the human rights treaty body system”. This resolution recognizes the need for improved coordination of reporting at the national level (para.20) and the importance of exchanging on best practices. In the framework of the 2020 treaty body review process provided for in para. 41 of GA Resolution 68/268, a report of the co-facilitators highlighted that the implementation of human rights recommendations would benefit from expanded, institutionalized follow-up at national level, such as through the introduction or strengthening of national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up.

With resolution 51/33, the Human Rights Council has now adopted four resolutions related to national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up. Resolution 30/25 (2015) encourages States to establish and strengthen national human rights follow-up systems and processes. Resolution 36/29 (2017) underlines the contribution of NMIRFs to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Resolution 42/30 (2019) introduces implementation as one of the pillars of such mechanisms. In addition, in 2016 States created a Group of Friends to promote the agenda at the Human Rights Council.

Resolution 51/33

In October 2022, under the leadership of Paraguay and Brazil, the Human Rights Council adopted HRC resolution 51/33 requesting OHCHR to organize a one-day seminar in 2023 and another one in 2024 in Geneva, to facilitate sharing experiences among States with a view to improving their national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up.

The resolution also calls for the creation of a virtual knowledge hub to enable national mechanisms to share promising practices and facilitate the creation of an online community of practice, reflecting one of the recommendations resulting from the regional consultations organized in 2021 and captured in the June 2022 report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/50/64).

One-day seminar- 23 June 2023 Hybrid/Geneva

The one-day seminar foreseen for 2023 by HRC resolution 51/33 took place in Geneva on 23 June 2023 in room XVII in Palais des Nations, during the Human Rights Council 53^rd session, and in a hybrid format.

It aimed to fulfil two main objectives:

For participants to provide feedback on the National Mechanisms’ Hub requested by HRC resolution 51/33, in its mock up version of June 2023, including on how to improve user experience and design;
Exchange of practices and lessons and identification of key characteristics for an effective NMIRF institutional set up and mandate, based on theme 1 of the compilation of practices summarized in annex 1 of HRC report 50/64.
Concept note of the event
Agenda of the event

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Other endeavours

An International Seminar on National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting and Follow-up (NMIRFs) in the field of human rights was organised by the Inter-ministerial Delegation for Human Rights of the Kingdom of Morocco in partnership with the Danish Institute for Human Rights, and with the support of the United Nations Development Programme, in Marrakech on 7 and 8 December 2022.

The event gathered a total of 50 state representatives from different regions of the world. UNDP and the League of Arab States also participated. A declaration (the so-called “Marrakech declaration”) was adopted after the event whereby the NMIRFs present committed to promote the establishment or strengthening of NMIRFs and engage in a network of NMIRFs under the leadership of Morocco.

Previously, a roundtable organized by OHCHR in partnership with the Geneva Human Rights Platform, the Universal Rights Group and the Danish Institute for Human Rights was organized on 5 September 2022 in Geneva to hear member states and other stakeholders on how they intend to give effect to the recommendations made in HRC report 50/64. The event, which gathered around 50 participants both in situ and online, was the occasion for further exchanges and resource mobilization on NMRF initiatives and was very timely to continue generate momentum around NMIRFs. HRC resolution 51/33 was adopted a month later during the Human Rights Council session.

Documentation

Regional consultations on experiences and good practices relating to the establishment and development of national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up – Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (A/HRC/50/64)
العربية | 中文 | English | Français | Pусский | Español

Invitation to Member States to attend the NMIRF Regional consultations on the implementation of Human Rights Council resolution 42/30
العربية | English | Français | русский | Español

National Mechanisms for Reporting and Follow-up – A Practical Guide to Effective State Engagement with International Human Rights Mechanisms
العربية | English | Français | русский | Español (PDF)

National Mechanisms for Reporting and Follow-up: A Study of State Engagement with International Human Rights Mechanisms
العربية | English | Français | русский | Español (PDF)

The National Recommendations Tracking database- A digital information management tool forNational Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting and Follow-up (NMIRF)
English | Français (PDF)

The status of National Mechanisms for Reporting and Follow-up in Southern Africa, Practices, challenges and recommendations for effective functioning
English

National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting and Follow-up

TREATY BODIES

MEETINGS AND DEADLINES

STATE REPORTING TO TREATY BODIES

COMPLAINTS

DATABASES

Resources

Background

Resolution 51/33

One-day seminar- 23 June 2023 Hybrid/Geneva

Other endeavours

Documentation

Videos on NMIRFs

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