National human rights institutions

National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) play a vital role in promoting and protecting human rights at the national level. Their tasks include highlighting gaps in protection, making recommendations, providing human rights education, reviewing national laws and engaging with international and regional human rights mechanisms. Strong NHRIs make governments more accountable, societies more inclusive and human rights better protected.

ODIHR supports participating States in establishing and strengthening NHRIs in all aspects of their mandate. Through the annual NHRI Academy and other training, we bring NHRI staff together from across the OSCE region to share knowledge and build capacity. 

The NHRI Academy is a week-long training course held each year for national human rights institutions (NHRIs) across the OSCE region. 

It is organised by ODIHR together with the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI).

Since 2014, the Academy has brought together over 300 senior and mid-level NHRI staff to improve skills, share experiences, learn from one another and strengthen professional networks across the region.

Each year, the programme focuses on new and emerging challenges facing NHRIs and offers practical tools to help them address these issues in their work and carry out their role of promoting and protecting human rights more effectively.