UN | Responsibility to protect – guidelines for NHRIs and Ombudspersons

The Special Adviser of the United Nations Secretary-General on the Responsibility to Protect, Mr. Ivan Simonovic, shared a document on "Accountability for Atrocity Crimes Prevention: Implementation Guidance for National Human Rights Institutions and Ombudspersons" with the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI).

In his 2017 report (see further below in English, French and Spanish) the Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect puts a particular focus on accountability for prevention. The report contains recommendations for Member States to implement atrocity prevention in a practical way and in many instances using already established mechanisms, which includes Ombudsman institutions. With them in mind, Mr Simonovic prepared guidelines for National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and Ombudspersons, which you can also find further down below.

It is positively noted that these guidelines make specific reference to Ombudsman institutions as well. The IOI Executive Committee is therefore pleased to disseminate the documents among the wider IOI membership for your information and consideration and recommends that IOI members be supportive and take them into account.

The Office of the United Nations Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect stands ready to provide any additional information you may be interested in. The focal point is Mr. Mario Buil-Merce, who circulated the documents to the IOI.