Capacity Assessment Manual for National Human Rights Institutions 2.5. THE GLOBAL PRINCIPLES FOR THE CAPACITY ASSESSMENT OF NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS In 2013 the Tripartite Partnership of GANHRI, OHCHR and UNDP agreed to undertake research into CA experiences and methodologies, lessons learned and common challenges, having regard to regional specificities. The research resulted in the development and adoption of the Global Principles for the Capacity Assessment of National Human Rights Institutions, consisting of eight principles drawn from evidence and practice to offer guidance to NHRIs in their efforts to enhance effectiveness and accountability.3 The eight principles are: 1. pluralism, inclusion and participation 2. NHRI independence and ownership 3. confidentiality 4. transparency 5. sensitivity to context and regional specificity 6. commitment to learning and accountability 7. commitment to implementation and follow-up 8. respect for the rule of law and normative frameworks.4 For each Principle the research provides guidance on applying the principle in practice, based on the experiences of CAs. The research goes beyond identifying the eight Global Principles to identifying nine core capacity issues: 1. leadership 2. institutional arrangements 3. knowledge 4. accountability 5. protection activities 6. promoting human rights 7. advice and assistance to government 8. stakeholder engagement 9. human rights monitoring. It describes common practices, challenges and lessons learned in relation to each issue. Finally the research discussed aspects of the procedure for carrying out CAs, including data collection and analysis. It is not a procedural manual and it does not provide a step by step guide to conducting CAs, as this manual does. Rather, in relation to each aspect, it identifies common features of the various approaches to capacity assessment and presents the challenges and lessons learned. 3 Available at https://nhri.ohchr.org/EN/IHRS/tripartite/Joint%20Studies%20and%20Knowledge%20Products/GANHRI-UNDPOHCHR%20Global%20Principles%20for%20the%20Capacity%20Assessment%20of%20NHRIs.pdf. 4 Global Principles 2014 p 8 at https://nhri.ohchr.org/EN/IHRS/tripartite/Joint%20Studies%20and%20Knowledge%20Products/ GANHRI-UNDP-OHCHR%20Global%20Principles%20for%20the%20Capacity%20Assessment%20of%20NHRIs.pdf. Chapter 2: The capacity assessment approach for national human rights institutions | 15