E. P ublications This section will look at options that are widely used by institutions: ■■ Core publications; ■■ Annual reports; ■■ Specialized human rights publications. All of these can be produced in hard copy and online. Online publications must comply with international accessibility standards for persons with visual disabilities. 1. Core publications National human rights institutions typically develop core human rights material that allows the public to develop a general understanding of human rights, as well as to learn about their work: ■■ Describing the NHRI and what it does, and how to contact it; ■■ Explaining key human rights and basic principles; ■■ Explaining the rights of particular groups. Plain language and clear layout will make the material visually attractive, and easy to navigate and understand. In countries with more than one official language, material should be made available in the different languages to promote accessibility. Material should be made available in alternative formats to persons with disabilities (large-print, Braille and audiobooks). Publication is only one aspect of the process; effective dissemination is important, too. The material should be available online, at the NHRI offices and in community organizations, for example, or local municipal offices. It should be routinely distributed at local awareness-raising or training events sponsored or conducted by the institution. Given their wide distribution, basic publications tend to be produced relatively cheaply. 2. Annual reports Annual reports are generally required by law and serve as a basic tool for institutional accountability (between the NHRI and the Government) and for general public awareness of what the NHRI does and how it uses its allocated resources. Reports typically describe the types of investigations or inquires undertaken over the year and, for quasi-jurisdictional NHRIs, the number of complaints received, investigated and dealt with. They will also provide a summary of the types and numbers of information and training sessions given, the number of research studies undertaken, etc., as well as the resources devoted to these efforts. Many institutions go beyond this and use the report as an education and advocacy tool. This can be done, for example, by including substantive comments on the country’s human rights situation, the Government’s reaction or lack of reaction to the institution’s recommendations, including those that result from investigating complaints, and the results of any special studies or reviews. The annual report targets several audiences: parliament, or another appropriate authority to which the institution is accountable; key partners; the media; and the general public. This presents a challenge: the report must be sophisticated enough to showcase the work of the NHRI to parliament and others working for human rights yet accessible to the media and the general public. National human rights institutions often use the media—press releases, press conferences, newspaper inserts and radio broadcasts—to 70