Completed

Strengthening the Public Defender of Rights’ activities in human rights protection (Towards establishing NHRI in the Czech Republic)

The Office of the Public Defender of Rights ·Czechia

€1.5m

Grant awarded

Human Rights, Roma Inclusion and Domestic and Gender-based Violence

Programme

5 December 2019

Signed

About this project

The project aims to enhance the capacity and increase knowledge of the Office of the Public Defender of Rights resulting in reinforced impact of its analytical and research activities and streamlined employment of national and international human rights standards in their activities and fieldwork aiming at improving the situation of vulnerable and marginalised groups in terms of the protection of their rights. The project will, inter alia, include the following main activities: <ul> <li>Capacity-building of The Office of the Public Defender of Rights,</li> <li>Strengthening the prevention of ill-treatment through: <ul> <li style="text-align: justify">Strengthening the capacity to monitor the practical implementation of human rights standards in detention facilities, </li> <li style="text-align: justify">Make recommendations for improvements, </li> <li style="text-align: justify">Develop a new system and methodology (handbook) for effective follow-up visits,</li> <li style="text-align: justify">Development of a new system on evaluation of implementation of Public Defender of Rights’ recommendations on prevention of ill-treatment in detention facilities and</li> <li style="text-align: justify">Development of educational materials and provide trainings (workshops / seminars) on prevention of ill-treatment for detention facilities’ personnel,</li> </ul> </li> <li>Strengthening the protection of vulnerable children and their families and children's rights and</li> <li>Strengthening the capacity of the Public Defender of Rights to promote equal treatment through: <ul> <li style="text-align: justify">Systematically monitoring the implementation of recommendations of international human rights bodies, </li> <li style="text-align: justify">Publication of evaluation reports, </li> <li style="text-align: justify">Development of a methodology (handbook) and </li> <li style="text-align: justify">Conducting training based on the monitoring and research for the internal staff of the Office of the Public Defender of Rights and personnel of the relevant institutions (authorities, duty bearers).</li> </ul> </li> </ul>

Bilateral cooperation results

As part of the cooperation with the partner, the project promoter held two working meetings, one online thanks to the COVID pandemic and the second time at partner's headquarters. The project promoter gained an overview of work methods, gained know-how and examples of good practice. The project promoter organized a round table where experts discussed the issue of the national human rights institution. Czech Minister for Legislation and representatives of national human rights organizations from Norway, Slovakia, Estonia and Slovenia headed to Brno. Together with academics and NGOs, they also met with representatives of international organizations dealing with the protection of human rights, such as the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. Thanks to the partnership cooperation, the project promoter drew on Norwegian know-how and examples of good practice in the field of the national human rights institution. The partner participated in the preparation of the article, the aim of which was to provide an informative overview of the international requirements that must be met by national human rights institutions, based on key aspects of the work of the Norwegian National Institution for Human Rights. At the same time, a representative of a partner institution accepted an invitation to a round table, where he contributed his personal experience with the functioning of the national human rights institution.

Project partners

Norwegian National Human Rights Institution Donor project partner· Norway

Czechia country profile Other projects in this programme Project website