on Accreditation, NHRIs should cooperate and share information with other institutions that promote and protect human rights. This extends to Governments, NGOs and others. National human rights institutions should demonstrate such cooperation in their application to the Sub-Committee.29 Civil society A strong and effective civil society is vital to a vibrant human rights system. The Paris Principles require NHRIs to ensure pluralism. Pluralism is not only about internal makeup, but also about how outreach and programming are conducted. The Paris Principles require NHRIs to maintain ties with civil society, which includes: ■■ Human rights organizations (NGOs, associations, victim groups); ■■ Related issue-based organizations; ■■ Coalitions and networks (women’s rights, children’s rights, etc.); ■■ Persons with disabilities and their representative organizations; ■■ Community-based groups (indigenous peoples, minorities); ■■ Faith-based groups (churches, religious groups); ■■ Unions (trade unions as well as professional associations such as journalist associations, bar associations, magistrate associations, student unions); ■■ Social movements (peace movements, students, pro-democracy groups); ■■ Professionals such as humanitarian workers, lawyers, doctors and medical workers; ■■ Relatives of victims; and ■■ Public or para-public institutions (schools, universities, research bodies, etc.).30 An NHRI may be a country’s focal point for human rights, but it must respect the major role played by civil society in supporting the promotion and protection of human rights. Civil society is not its junior partner. In developing relationships with civil society, an NHRI must, therefore, not seek to dominate or control. Not only would this be rejected as inappropriate by representatives of civil society, it would not be conducive to improving the country’s human rights situation either. Other national authorities National human rights institutions should consult with other bodies responsible for human rights protection and promotion.31 This may include “classic” ombudsman offices dealing with maladministration, special mediators, or government entities responsible for specific rights, like women’s or children’s rights. The proliferation of other institutions—children’s ombudsmen, gender commissions, anti-corruption bodies, etc.—can be bewildering and may result in their jurisdictions overlapping with that of NHRIs. Despite the preference, from a human rights perspective, for one, single institution, other institutions provide opportunities for dealing comprehensively with complex problems. National human rights institutions can encourage other institutions to take a human rights-based approach to their mandates, while benefiting from their thematic expertise. Sub-Committee on Accreditation, general observations, para. 1.5. OHCHR, Working with the United Nations Human Rights Programme: A Handbook for Civil Society (2008). 31 The Paris Principles, methods of operation, para. (f). 29 30 24