INTERNATIONAL

STRATEGY

2017-2020

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The context of national human rights protection is being transformed by global trends. Globalisation tests the capacity of national and international human rights systems to protect and promote human rights, just as human rights protection is impaired by the internal weaknesses of states. In the current global context, the legitimacy and coherence of human rights are being increasingly challenged. On the other hand, human rights are also seen as drivers of change, entailing opportunities for people to thrive, for business to prosper, for society to flourish and for the greater good of the planet. The Danish Institute for Human Rights must carefully consider the implications of these trends for the global protection of human rights as well as our own international work. WHO we are We are a state institution, independent of government with a national and

international mandate by law. We are known by our partners for being collaborative, trusted and for taking

responsibility in creating long-lasting solutions. This allows us to operate in the nexus between governments, NGOs and

businesses. HOW we work We combine our assets of: Legitimacy (mandated by law and the UN Paris Principles), Proven track record (activities around the world for more than 20 years) Local approach (always working in partnership) Research capacity (combining academic research with practical experience) This work has yielded powerful results and valuable expertise. And it has convinced us that real progress on human rights requires the combined efforts of all actors in society. This progress, however, must be anchored in a human rights system upheld by states, which hold the primary obligation to protect and promote human rights. This is reflected in our theory of change, where we will focus our international work on enabling states to protect and promote human rights. This, we feel, is a natural extension of the role we play at home as Denmark’s National Human Rights Institution. We will also focus on integrating human rights in international frameworks and in the private sector, as this

INTRODUCTION

ENABLING HUMAN RIGHTS

ENABL ING H UM AN RI GHT S

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provides crucial support to states in the protection and promotion of human rights. This emphasis implies that, we leave it to other actors to strengthen the institutional capacity of civil society, whereas civil society for us remain strategic partners in terms of knowledge and collaboration to enable and support states to protect and promote human rights. The strategy reflects our ongoing ambition to use our mandate and expertise in ways that maximise our contribution to human rights. We look forward to making this journey with partners seeking the same goal.

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Our International Strategy 2017-2020 is based on a theory of change of how we can apply our mandate, in accordance with the UN Paris Principles, to promote and protect human rights. We believe this is done by building strong national and international human rights systems. We will strive to ensure that key national state institutions increase their capacity to protect and promote human rights. We will do this by providing organisational human rights capacity building and human rights expertise. The improved capacity of national state institutions will contribute to effective and self-sustaining national human rights systems. We will further strive to ensure increased institutionalisation of human rights among national and international human rights actors in their policies, priorities, and regulatory frameworks and we will contribute to human rights knowledge and standard development. We will do this by producing new tools and methods and by identifying and convening stakeholders and decision makers. The increased institutionalisation, knowledge and standards will lead to integration of human rights into regional and international frameworks, as well as into the private sector, which will in turn strengthen the national protection and promotion of human rights.

THEORY OF CHANGE

THE CHANGE WE WANT

THE CHANGE WE W ANT

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This theory of change is grounded in the United Nations human rights-based approach. We use a rights-based approach in our policies and programmes based on the following five principles: 1. Application of international human rights standards; 2. Empowerment to demand and to supply human rights effectively; 3. Participation of relevant actors in their own development; 4. Non-discrimination; 5. Accountability of duty-bearers.

OVERALL OBJECTIVE

Strong national and international human rights systems

OUTCOMES Effective and self-sustaining national

human rights systems

Effective integration of HR into

regional and international

frameworks and in private sector

OUTPUTS Increased capacity of

state institutions to drive

human rights change e.g.

monitoring, counselling,

operations

Knowledge and standard

development on selected

issues where there is a

need to promote human

rights

Increased institutionali-

sation of human rights

among national and

international human

rights actors

ACTIVITIES AND INPUTS

Build

organisational

capacity on

human rights

Build human

rights expertise

Produce and

disseminate new

analyses,

methods and

tools

Identify and

convene

stakeholders and

decision makers

ASSUMPTIONS

Sustainable human rights change is

anchored in public authorities and

international systems.

Human rights actors are committed

to interact productively to promote

and protect human rights.

DIHR works with human rights

actors that are committed to develop

their capacities, expertise and

competencies related to human

rights protection and promotion.

To leverage our work DIHR focuses

on NHRIs, states institutions, justice

system actors, NHRI networks, UN

system, regional bodies and the pri-

vate sector as human rights actors.

A THEORY OF CHANGE FOR OUR INTERNATIONAL WORK OUR

INTERNATIONAL WORK

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Our targets, and partners, in this effort are formal duty-bearers that share our goal of ensuring that the change we contribute to will have impact and relevance to duty-bearers and rights-holders alike. We seek to support and empower the state to fulfil its obligations as a duty-bearer. At the same time, we will encourage states to involve citizens in the conduct of public affairs and to carry out public consultation and informed dialogue.

RATIONALE The rationale behind this strategy is based on the interrelatedness of the national and international levels of human rights protection and will guide our future work. First, it is our experience that a major challenge to achieve effective and self-sustaining national human rights systems (outcome 1), is that state institutions are often too weak and not sufficiently focused on human rights. We can assist states to make changes where they have the political will to do so. We have decided to focus in the coming years on working with National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), key ministries and the justice system. Second, the national protection of human rights can be significantly strengthened by cooperating with international actors to integrate human rights into their policies and standards (outcome 2). This includes global and regional organisations such as the United Nations, the World Bank, the African Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the European Union, and others as well as the private sector. If these actors respect and promote human rights, they can make a difference, just as they can impair human rights if they do not. Third, knowledge of human rights standards at national level is key to protect human rights and to drive change on core human rights issues. Therefore, we aim to build human rights expertise and organisational capacity among our partners. This could include how to influence policy and legislation, supporting monitoring and reporting capacity, cooperating with the international human rights protection system or ensuring robust domestic follow-up on human rights reports. We will facilitate this through alliance-building and local presence in order to understand the context and to respond and adapt to changing political environments. Fourth, our ability to maximize our impact will depend on us engaging with key stakeholders that can leverage our activities as well as our ability to document, measure and learn from our activities. In addition, we will broaden our funding base and seek strategic collaboration with a larger number of donors.

THE CHANGE WE W ANT

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STRATEGIC PRIORITIES To achieve the outcomes of our theory of change, we have identified four strategic priorities for our international work:

1. Human rights systems and institutions 2. Global outreach on priority themes 3. Human rights expertise, alliance-building and local presence 4. Maximizing our impact

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As Denmark’s NHRI and an independent state institution, we are well-placed to cooperate with public authorities that play a role in the protection and promotion of human rights in their respective countries. In accordance with the Paris Principles, we have a special focus on partnerships with other NHRIs, and we have extensive experience working with other public authorities that are important to the national protection of human rights.

In this strategy period, our interventions and partnerships will focus on the following actors: National Human Rights Institutions State institutions with a cross-cutting human rights mandate Justice system actors

We have selected these actors for the following reasons: They are the essential public authorities in the national human rights systems Their function as duty-bearers requires that they develop legal framework,

processes and capacity for better human rights protection and promotion We have the knowledge, experience and capacity to achieve substantial and

measurable results with these actors within the strategy period.

NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS We will support the establishment and strengthening of NHRIs to comply with the UN Paris Principles in their founding acts and in how they carry out their mandates. We will support them by building their capacity to conduct human rights monitoring, reporting, and follow-up; to provide human rights education; and to offer specific expertise on relevant themes. We will also support the Global Alliance of NHRIs (GANHRI) and the regional chapters by aiding in the development of strong secretariats capable of

STRATEGIC PRIORITY NO 1

HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEMS AND INSTITUTIONS

HUM AN RI GHTS SYSTE MS AND I NST ITUT IONS

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mobilising, coordinating, and providing needed support to individual NHRIs in their accreditation processes and their engagement with the international and regional system.

STATE INSTITUTIONS WITH A CROSS-CUTTING HUMAN RIGHTS MANDATE We will help institutions with a human rights-related mandate, such as justice or interior ministries, to develop policies and legislation and will assist in the review of existing legal frameworks to address inadequate human rights protection and lack of compliance. We will support the development of human rights monitoring and reporting, including effective processes to gather information and carry out stakeholder analyses and facts-based human rights dialogue with broad segments of society.

JUSTICE SYSTEM ACTORS We will primarily target two types of actors within the justice system: the police and primary justice providers. With the police, we will seek to ensure human rights-compliant policing, and will cooperate with police academies to develop context-specific curricula and education tools. For primary justice providers, which include legal aid networks, paralegals, and local courts, we will work to improve the link between the formal and informal justice systems, and to integrate human rights into all relevant structures to secure robust and sustainable access to justice.

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We are part of the international human rights system, and enjoy access to international and regional organisations and fora. Based on our human rights expertise and practical experience, we have been able to successfully influence agendas that matter to human rights globally. We will seek to multiply this leverage by working together with the international network of national human rights institutions and other actors. We are witnessing increasing challenges to the legitimacy and coherence of human rights. Meanwhile, great human rights progress has been made with millions of people lifted out of poverty in the course of global economic development. However, as the 2030 agenda points out, the costs of this development are unsustainable in both environmental and human rights terms, and marginalised groups have been left behind. In this strategic period our human rights priority themes are: Human rights and sustainable development Human rights and business Human rights and legitimacy

We have selected these themes for the following reasons: They are highly relevant for the global human rights context as well as in

many of the countries where we operate There is a need for norms, regulations, systems and capacity for better human

rights protection and fulfilment We have the capacity to achieve substantial and measurable results within the

strategy period

STRATEGIC PRIORITY NO 2

GLOBAL OUTREACH ON PRIORITY THEMES

GLOBAL OUTRE ACH O N P R I ORITY THEM ES

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HUMAN RIGHTS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT The 2030 agenda for sustainable development sets the framework for global action for the next 15 years. The agenda is universal, committing both developing and developed states, and comprehensive, encompassing environmental, social and economic dimensions of development. Its goals and targets are grounded in international human rights principles and standards. The degree of interdependence and convergence between human rights and the 2030 agenda implies that one cannot be realized without the other.

In the strategy period, we will develop knowledge, build capacity and promote standards for states and corporate actors to pursue sustainable development in ways that are guided by human rights and that respect and support human rights for all.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND BUSINESS Human rights are inextricably linked with business. Rights can be harmed if business is not carried out responsibly. At the same time, fulfilment of human rights cannot be achieved without the jobs, revenues, infrastructure, technology, and services that business generates.

Many of the major human rights and development challenges faced by countries collectively and individually cannot be solved without a large-scale shift of business and investment. A shift that is responsible and addresses the sustainable development needs of society.

In the strategy period, we will develop knowledge, build capacity and promote standards for states and corporate actors to create enabling environments for responsible and sustainable business and investment.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND LEGITIMACY Issues such as sexuality, religion, and gender equality have become lynchpins for larger discussions of the social and political legitimacy of human rights, and on the possible clashes between human rights and popular and democratic processes. In other cases, some norms are promoted at the expense of others. A contextual understanding of these dynamics is a necessary operational condition for our work in many partner countries. Crafting a common understanding on contentious issues is essential to promoting human rights in a pluralistic context, and ensures a more nuanced and less confrontational debate at the international level.

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We are operating in many different contexts, which requires an ability to identify problems and devise actions, build capacity and adapt approaches.

In this strategy period, we will focus on: Building human rights expertise Balance international alliance-building and local presence

HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTISE The key driver through which we will seek to impact change is the Institute’s operational, policy-, and research-based human rights expertise. Our mandate includes research as well as applied human rights work, meaning that our working methods combine academic research with practical experience gained in the implementation of human rights projects in Denmark and internationally. We combine this human rights expertise with knowledge of the geographic, political, and economic contexts in which we work. We will focus on three kinds of expertise: Legal expertise on human rights norms and standards Contextual expertise on the stakeholders, priorities, and institutions where we

work Methodological expertise on technical, organisational, and political processes. It is the combination of these three kinds of expertise that allows us to effect change.

INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE-BUILDING AND LOCAL PRESENCE In selecting and prioritising our international work, we will take a differentiated approach balancing international alliance-building and local presence pending on what kind of activities we are envisaging. We will distinguish between four types of approaches:

STRATEGIC PRIORITY NO 3

HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTISE, ALLIANCE-BUILDING AND LOCAL PRESENCE

HUM AN RI GHTS EXPERTI SE , ALL I ANCE -B UILD ING AND LOCAL P RESE NCE

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1. We have a designated number of programme countries where we work long-term and with local presence in order to build entire national systems for human rights protection and fulfilment (Strategic Priority 1).

2. Within our priority themes under Strategic Priority 2 and on select topics related to Strategic Priority 1 we also conduct targeted thematic projects in non-programme countries with the dual purpose of contributing to human rights promotion and protection and developing new approaches to emerging human rights challenges and opportunities.

3. In accordance with our mandate we engage globally in targeted NHRI collaboration in order to establish and strengthen individual National Human Rights Institutions and their representative bodies.

4. Within our priority themes under Strategic Priority 2 and on select topics related to Strategic Priority 1 we seek to influence regional and international actors and systems, including state and business, based on human rights expertise derived from research and practice.

The type of activity we engage in determines the breadth and length of our local presence. We must adapt to a context where human rights expertise and capacity of local actors is growing in the countries where we operate. Through long-term and local presence, we can ensure that we complement rather than duplicate this capacity. At present, we have only established formal offices in a few programme countries, but maintains individually deployed staff in a range of location, since partnerships with state institutions are often more cumbersome than partnerships with civil society and more vulnerable to political fluctuations. All international activities are subject to our partnership framework.

We select our programme countries and thematic projects based on the following criteria: Our ability to align our theory of change with the context and with

local actors Political will to engage in human rights reform Commitment and capability of local partners The country’s and/or theme’s relevance to regional and international

dynamics Ability of the Institute to add value Cost of impact relative to other countries Availability of resources for us and our partners

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We are in a strong position from which we create noteworthy and long-lasting results. However, we are ambitious and are constantly striving to improve. We want to put our resources into optimal use. In this strategic period, we have identified three focus areas to support this task: Emphasise strategic collaboration Measure and document the impact of our work Diversify our funding base

We have selected these focus areas for the following reasons: We want to secure and maximise our impact and to remain relevant We are met by high demands to our knowledge and professional skill We find ourselves in strong competition for resources to carry out our

mandate.

EMPHASISE STRATEGIC COLLABORATION A stronger focus on strategic collaboration and division of responsibility will leverage our efforts to positively influence the development of human rights. Our main targets for change are duty bearers, meaning states whereas we may engage with business, civil society actors and academia as agents for change. In the strategic period we will, as stated in the theory of change, pursue cooperation with NHRIs, central state institutions and justice system actors in programme countries. We will also secure strategic collaboration with Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other UN agencies in programme countries to coordinate the effort to support selected actors. Within our priority themes, we will pursue collaboration with applicable state institutions, business actors, international and regional actors, the GANHRI and its regional chapters, civil society organisations, and research institutions.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY NO 4

MAXIMISE OUR IMPACT

MAX IMI SE O UR I MP ACT

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MEASURE AND DOCUMENT THE IMPACT OF OUR WO RK Measuring progress on human rights is often a challenge. It is nevertheless important and necessary to ensure that our work has relevance and that we can gain the necessary organisational learning. Due to its narrow and clearly defined strategic goals, outcomes, and outputs, the theory of change will improve our ability to document and measure the impact of our work at both the organisational and program levels. We want to be held accountable for the outcomes defined in the theory of change. Thus, we will systematically document, monitor, and evaluate our results.

DIVERSIFY OUR FUNDING BASE We are competing in a global and increasingly competitive market for the funding available to support human rights and democratisation. For us to preserve the competences we have developed and to continue to pursue the goals we have defined, we need to expand and diversify our funding base and seek strategic collaboration with an increased number of donors.