HIGHLIGHTS OF RESULTS Technical assistance was provided to the Government of Tunisia for the development of a draft law establishing an NHRI in compliance with the Paris Principles. An initial draft was approved by the Council of Ministers, in 2014, and submitted to the Parliament for adoption. The draft was later withdrawn, however, as the Government decided to continue working on the draft to address some gaps and ensure inclusion of inputs from civil society. The revised draft was introduced to the Parliament in 2017 and is currently under consideration by the Parliamentary Committee on Rights, Freedoms and External Relations. Furthermore, the Governments of Cook Islands, Nauru, Papua New  Guinea and Tuvalu committed to the establishment of NHRIs and are working on the required next steps. NHRIs undertook steps to strengthen their capacities to work in greater compliance with the Paris Principles. The draft bill to reform the National Commission on Human Rights and Citizenship of Cape Verde is being reviewed by the Ministry of Justice. It is anticipated that the draft will be sent to the Parliament for adoption in 2018. A law on the reform of the National Human Rights Commission of Chad was adopted in December, reinforcing the compliance of the Commission with the Paris Principles. A proposal to convert the Office of the Public Defender in Jamaica into an NHRI, in full compliance with the Paris Principles, has been shared with the Cabinet and the Ministry of Justice. In March, the Liberia Independent National Human Rights Commission was accredited with ‘A’ status. The Commission engaged different stakeholders on the implementation of UPR recommendations and was awarded appropriate funding to deploy 20 monitors to the field. Additionally, the Government of Madagascar adopted a decree, in December, which should lead to the allocation of a budget for the proper functioning of the NHRI. In Niger, the National Human Rights Commission launched a website to give more visibility to its activities, enable victims of human rights violations to file their complaints online and encourage them to regularly engage with the international human rights mechanisms. As a result of its strengthened capacities, the National Human Rights Commission was credited with ‘A’ status, in March. Other NHRIs also maintained their ‘A’ status, including those in Afghanistan, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nigeria and Panama. On the other hand, the Independent National Human Rights Commission of Burundi was downgraded to ‘B’ status as GANHRI found that it demonstrated inadequate independence and limited collaboration with civil society organizations. The NHRI in Honduras has attempted to regain its ‘A’ status on a number of occasions, the last of which was in 2016. The implementation of a number of recommendations issued by GANHRI, including amendments to its establishing law, remain pending. Protecting freedom of expression, freedom of association and media The draft Law on Access to Information in Cambodia, developed in meaningful consultation with relevant stakeholders, is in overall compliance with international standards. In Kenya, a draft National Policy on Public Participation has been finalized and is subject to validation. Once approved, the Policy will facilitate access to information, ensure that citizens have an opportunity to be heard when the Government seeks to adopt a law or policy and that groups in vulnerable situations can fully participate in political and public af- Independent National Human Rights Commission of Liberia gets recognition In 2005, in line with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which ended the Liberian civil war, the Independent National Human Rights Commission (INHRC) was established to ensure the realization of human rights and enhance peace and national reconciliation through the implementation of the recommendations issued by the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In its earliest days, however, the INHRC was largely inactive and suffered a serious deficit of professionalism and credibility as it lacked both commitment and vision. The Human Rights and Protection Section of the United Nations Mission in Liberia engaged with the Commission to help transform it into a more vibrant institution with a purpose, an action plan and the capacity to fulfil a much needed oversight role. The Section provided technical support, ensured the Commission’s compliance with international human rights principles, trained monitors in human rights advocacy and on the implementation of the National Human Rights Action Plan, advocated with national authorities to increase budgetary support and encouraged collaboration between the INHRC and civil society organizations in Liberia. In 2017, the Global Alliance for National Human Rights Institutions accredited the INHRC with ‘A’ status. As a result, the Commission now has the opportunity to operate with the same level of representation and participation as regional and international bodies and human rights mechanisms, which will benefit its efforts to promote and protect the rights of all persons in Liberia. UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2017 39