Part I NHRIs and the Paris Principles 3.4.6. Cooperative work78 The Paris Principles recognise that effective human rights work requires engagement of and collaboration among all relevant actors. They require that NHRIs work in cooperation with other State institutions, NGOs and other parts of civil society, including parliament, judicial bodies,79 the civil service, other State institutions with responsibility for the promotion and protection of human rights, such as ombudsmen and mediators, sub-national statutory human rights institutions and thematic institutions,80 and the media.81 3.4.7. International engagement82 The engagement required of NHRIs does not stop at the national level but extends internationally. NHRIs should: … cooperate with the United Nations and any other organizations in the United Nations system, the regional institutions and the national institutions of other countries that are competent in the areas of the promotion and protection of human rights.83 There are now many opportunities for NHRIs to cooperate with and support the work of UN bodies and mechanisms, including the Human Rights Council and its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and special procedures, as well as the treaty monitoring bodies.84 Reporting obligations under various human rights instruments are the responsibility of the State. While an NHRI can play an important role in assisting the State to fulfil these obligations, any legislative provision must recognise the distinct roles of the State and the NHRI.85 In addition to monitoring and assisting the State, NHRIs should be empowered to engage independently with the UPR, the special procedures and the treaty monitoring bodies and provide independent reports to these mechanisms. 3.5. IMPLIED RESPONSIBILITIES 3.5.1. Accessibility The Paris Principles do not have a specific section dealing with the accessibility of NHRIs. However, accessibility is implied in many provisions and indeed in broader human rights law dealing with access to remedies for violations of human rights. As NHRIs are established to provide remedies for violations, they must be accessible to victims seeking remedies. Accessibility has socio-economic, cultural, geographical and procedural dimensions.86 The Paris Principles require that NHRIs be pluralistic, representative of the “social forces of civilian society”.87 NHRIs “shall hear any person … necessary for assessing situations falling within [their] 78 See chapter 17 of this manual for further discussion of NHRI engagement with NGOs and cooperation with other national actors. 79 The Paris Principles include relationships with “jurisdictional” bodies; see Paris Principles, ‘Methods of operation’, para. (f). 80 Paris Principles, ‘Methods of operation’, para. (f). See also GANHRI SCA General Observations as adopted in Geneva in May 2013, GO 1.4. 81 Paris Principles, ‘Methods of operation’, para. (g). 82 See chapters 22 and 23 of this manual for further discussion of the international engagement function of NHRIs. 83 Paris Principles ,‘Competence and responsibilities’, para. 3(e). See also GANHRI SCA General Observations as adopted in Geneva in May 2013, GO 1.4. 84 See APF, International Human Rights and the International Human Rights System: A Manual for National Human Rights Institutions, 2012. 85 Paris Principles, ‘Competence and responsibilities’, para. 3(d). 86 See B. Burdekin with J. Naum, National Human Rights Institutions in the Asia Pacific, 2007, p. 44. 87 Paris Principles, ‘Composition and guarantees of independence and pluralism’, para. 1. Chapter 3: The Paris Principles | 23