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Individuals and organizations from more than 70 countries gathered in Nairobi, Kenya on October 21-24, 2008 to examine how National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) can help promote human rights in the Administration of Justice, an umbrella term that encompasses law enforcement, detention, and the judiciary.

Professor Ryan Goodman, Director of the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School, and Thomas Pegram, the NHRI Fellow at the Human Rights Program, participated in the event, which was the ninth international conference for NHRIs. The gathering was organized by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in cooperation with the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and the International Coordinating Committee of NHRIs.

NHRIs are independent, governmental bodies established to monitor and protect human rights within a country. Influenced by a set of UN guidelines known as the Paris Principles, NHRIs are often established by a state’s constitution or through a legislative act. They often take the form of a multi-member commission or a human rights ombudsman.

The conference was preceded by an institutional meeting which marked an important, near final step in the incorporation of an international organization for NHRIs across the globe. Following days of discussions and negotiation, the conference then culminated in an official document, “The Nairobi Declaration,” which outlines concrete efforts NHRIs and the OHCHR should consider taking to promote and protect human rights with respect to traditional and conventional judicial systems, access to justice, legal aid, detention, and law enforcement.

“We are witnessing the birth of an extraordinary international organization, which is at the cutting edge of new global networks,” said Goodman. “There is now enormous potential to build bridges between NHRIs and the academy, and the Harvard Human Rights Program is well positioned to help strengthen the capacity of these institutions and foster interdisciplinary research to improve their effectiveness.”

In addressing the conference, Professor Goodman spoke of NHRIs not only as becoming the first port of call for the UN human rights system, but often “the last best hope” for many pressing human rights issues.

“The conference provided a special opportunity for the Harvard Human Rights Program to engage NHRIs, meet many of the players, and discuss pathways for future collaboration,” said Pegram.

The Nairobi Declaration notably included a statement “welcoming the participation of the Harvard University Law School Human Rights Program in the international conference and welcoming closer cooperation between that Program, NHRIs, regional coordinating bodies and OHCHR.”

To view a copy of the “Nairobi Declaration” from the October 21-24 conference, please click here. For more information on the Human Rights Program’s thematic commitment to National Human Rights Institutions, including on two international conferences hosted by the Program, click here.