THE ROLE OF THE DANISH ­ INSTITUTE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS The Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR) is Denmark’s National Human Rights Institution. It is established by law and mandated to promote and protect human rights and equal treatment in Denmark and internationally. DIHR wishes to set standards and generate change. DIHR bases its international activities on the human rights recognized by the international community. Within Denmark, DIHR is the equality body regarding race, ethnicity and gender and the body monitoring the implementation of the United Nations convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. The Danish Institute for Human Rights protects and promotes human rights through partnerships with state, civil society, the business community and independent institutions, such as National Human Rights Institutions, as well as in strategic cooperation with international and regional actors, including United Nations organs and the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights. DIHR works through research, documentation, education, training and communication activities. Currently, DIHR is active in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Handbook is a joint publication of UNFPA, OHCHR and the Danish Institute for Human Rights. The concept of and overall coordination for the publication was provided by UNFPA. The Danish Institute for Human Rights developed the Handbook under the direction of Ulrik Spliid and Camilla Silva Fløistrup, with substantive human rights input from OHCHR. The partners wish to extend special thanks to the National Human Rights Institutions of South Africa, Uganda, India and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for their valuable contributions to the Handbook and participation in a validation workshop in New York, in September 2011. National Institutions from these countries, along with Portugal, El Salvador, Kenya, Namibia, Senegal and Uzbekistan, also provided information on their activities related to reproductive rights. National institutions from the Asia-Pacific region provided valuable insight during and after the Asia-Pacific Forum in Kuala Lumpur, in June 2011. The partners acknowledge the contributions of peer reviewers appointed through internal quality assurance procedures of UNFPA and OHCHR. Appreciation is also extended to Rajat Khosla and Marilou McPhedran as external reviewers. A special note of thanks goes to Gretchen R. Kail for her thorough editorial review of the publication. 11