ANNEXES INTRODUCTION National human rights institutions (NHRIs) are independent bodies established by a constitutional or legislative act, funded by the state and specifically mandated to protect and promote human rights.1 This role includes the protection and promotion of all human rights. Women’s rights and gender equality are fundamental human rights, guaranteed in numerous human rights treaties, resolutions, declarations, platforms and programmes of action. The main international human rights treaty for women is the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and its Optional Protocol. However, women’s rights and non-discrimination are fundamental components of other UN norms, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the Declaration on Violence against Women. Other policy frameworks that commit states to gender equality and women’s rights include the Vienna Declaration and Platform for Action, 2 the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, 3 the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, 1 2 3 UN Principles relating to the status and functioning of national institutions for protection and promotion of human rights (the “Paris Principles”), UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/48/134, 1993, Annex 1. UN World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, 1993, Art. 18. Fourth UN World Conference on Women, Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, 1995, Art. 14.