Promoting and Protecting the Human Rights of Women and Girls A Manual for National Human Rights Institutions Chapter 4: Supporting a strong national legal and policy framework KEY QUESTIONS • How can NHRIs work to promote adoption and implementation of international human rights standards around the rights of women and girls? • What type of reforms to laws, policies and practice can NHRIs promote in the area of women’s and girls’ human rights? • What strategies might be effective in promoting legal and policy reform? • What good practice examples can NHRIs draw on for inspiration and guidance? BASIS FOR NHRI INVOLVEMENT PARIS PRINCIPLES Competence and responsibilities 3. A national institution shall, inter alia, have the following responsibilities: (a) To submit to the Government, Parliament and any other competent body, on an advisory basis either at the request of the authorities concerned or through the exercise of its power to hear a matter without higher referral, opinions, recommendations, proposals and reports on any matters concerning the promotion and protection of human rights; the national institution may decide to publicize them; these opinions, recommendations, proposals and reports, as well as any prerogative of the national institution, shall relate to the following areas: (i) Any legislative or administrative provisions, as well as provisions relating to judicial organizations, intended to preserve and extend the protection of human rights; in that connection, the national institution shall examine the legislation and administrative provisions in force, as well as bills and proposals, and shall make such recommendations as it deems appropriate in order to ensure that these provisions conform to the fundamental principles of human rights; it shall, if necessary, recommend the adoption of new legislation, the amendment of legislation in force and the adoption or amendment of administrative measures; (ii) Any situation of violation of human rights which it decides to take up; (iii) The preparation of reports on the national situation with regard to human rights in general, and on more specific matters; 38