National Human Rights Institutions in Africa

Summary

National human rights institutions (NHRIs) have important roles to play in the monitoring, promotion, and protection of human rights. Set up by governments, that have a special duty to uphold human rights but that at the same time are some of the biggest violators, these institutions can function as watchdogs or lapdogs depending on the choices that governments make. The first NHRI in an African country was established in 1966, but it was in the 1990s that their spread really took off. Since then, practically all countries have come to have at least one NHRI and NHRIs are increasingly independent and authoritative. The dissertation finds that NHRIs can indeed be effective, both in promoting and protecting human rights and in advancing good governance in general. However, it also shows that governments can be tempted to interfere in the institutions that they have established.