The Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI) is a regional umbrella body that brings together 44 National Human Rights Institutions in Africa. NANHRI, whose Secretariat is based in Nairobi, Kenya, is registered under Kenyan law as an independent legal entity. The Network seeks to support and strengthen National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in Africa as well as to facilitate coordination and cooperation among themselves and between them and other key human rights actors at the regional and international level.BACKGROUND
The African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, the African Court on Human and People’s Rights and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child are core bodies of the African human rights system. These bodies receive complaints of human rights violations and make decisions, judgments or recommendations respectively. However, a huge gap exists between the decisions and the level of implementation, which poses a serious impediment to the realization of justice for victims of human rights violations who often have exhausted the domestic judicial remedies.
Since the implementation happens at the national level, and that state parties are the primary actors in ensuring implementation of the decision, the role of NHRIs as national stakeholder is critical. National Human Rights Institutions play a major role in promoting compliance to regional and international treaties. Through their independent complaints handling, monitoring and reporting on human rights issues, NHRIs are key in the processes of ensuring compliance by state or other parties, to human rights standards. More so, NHRIs are uniquely placed as independent and impartial mediators between duty bearers and the victims of human rights violations.
The strategic role of NHRIs is also underscored by the granting of the affiliate status to National Human Rights Institutions which creates an avenue for an enhanced interaction and cooperation with the African Commission. So far, over half of the total number of NHRIs in Africa have the affiliate status. Although this mechanism of engagement was expected to enhance the contribution to the African Commission at the regional level by these key national institutions, the results of this have been realised to some extent; while also, much remains to be done to realise its full potential.
One of the factors that hinders effective engagement of NHRIs with regional bodies is the level of access to adequate information. Databases of the regional bodies and those of case law analysers provide the decisions, judgments and recommendations made. While the main challenge is at the implementation processes at the national level, this information on the progress of implementation is seldom generated or made accessible. In addition, while this initiative aims at enhancing the role of the NHRIs, the proposed information centre will provide a one stop centre for NHRIs to get information on good practices on role of the NHRIs in.
The purpose of this Consultancy is therefore to conduct a feasibility study on online information centre (maintained by NANHRI) on the interaction of NHRIs with the regional mechanisms. The centre will collate information on decisions /concluding observations / recommendations both from the human rights bodies and analysis from other institutions, particularly related to the contribution of NHRIs. The initiative builds on the interventions undertaken previously including the development of the NHRIs Guidelines on the monitoring the implementation of decisions of African Commission on Human and People’s Rights and judgments of the African Court on Human and People’s Rights, which outlines initiating legal processes at either domestic courts or regional bodies as one of actions NHRIs can undertake.
This initiative by NANHRI is part of the Regional Africa Programme funded by the Swedish Development Cooperation Agency in partnership with the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI). The initiative is aimed at enhancing the ability of African NHRIs to follow-up and influence the implementation of regional human rights commitments, as well as increase NHRI interaction with national and regional institutions and the information available in the region on NHRI means and mechanisms for supporting implementation.
DESCRIPTION AND SCOPE OF WORK
The Consultant will be expected to undertake a feasibility study for an online information centre on the interaction of NHRIs with the regional mechanisms. The centre will collate information on decisions, concluding observations and recommendations both from the human rights bodies and analysis from other institutions, particularly related to the contribution of NHRIs. The study will therefore provide an assessment of strengths and gaps of the online databases on regional bodies and other institutions, and identify opportunities for an online information centre focusing on the contribution of NHRIs. Based on this information, the consultant will develop a report of the feasibility study which will include a technical proposal for the establishment of the proposed online information centre to be maintained by NANHRI. The proposal shall identify the following:-
The information to be supported on the online information centre and strategies for sustaining up-to-date and sufficient data
Strategies to provide linkage with the regional bodies and their databases and other relevant institutions
Infrastructure required to support the centre, including technical details of its implementation
In undertaking this feasibility study, the consultant will obtain input and suggestions from representatives of the regional bodies and other relevant institutions, with a possibility of one travel to the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights. This study shall be undertaken within a period of 30 days.
The assignment will involve the following tasks:
Developing an inception plan and data collection tools
Contacting representatives of regional bodies, NHRIs and relevant institutions
A possible travel to the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights
Compiling data and developing an analytical report which shall include a technical proposal for an online information centre
Presenting the findings and recommendations of the study to a meeting of NHRIs and other stakeholders and including the feedback to the final report
DELIVERABLES
The key deliverables for this assignment include:
An inception and work plan outlining dates for the submission of all deliverables
Data collections tools
Preliminary report and draft technical proposal for the online information centre
Final analytical report and technical proposal for the centre
TIMELINES
The Consultant shall undertake the assignment and submit deliverables within a period 30 days from the date of commencement/signing of the consultancy agreement.
QUALIFICATIONS
Applicants for this Consultancy should possess the following minimum qualifications:
Qualification in information systems or any other related field
Qualification in law, social/political sciences, international human rights law or any other related discipline will be a great asset;
Demonstrated experience in undertaking related feasibility assessments or development of information systems
Experience and/or interaction with national, regional and international human rights and governance issues and mechanisms;
Good communication and facilitation skills (oral, written and presentation skills);
Knowledge of the mandate and functions of National Human Rights Institutions is desirable;
Knowledge of French will be an added advantage as the study may involve corresponding with both Francophone and Anglophone institutions. **
