Body

The first and most important reason that NPMs may wish to engage with international and regional bodies is in order to help them to achieve their own objectives. When thinking about why and when to engage, NPMs will need to keep this primary objective in mind, particularly given the time and expense that such interaction may involve for institutions with already limited resources.

Nevertheless, engagement with international and regional bodies can be a powerful tool, helping NPMs to:

  • achieve their aims in relation to deprivation of liberty,
  • learn and strengthen themselves and others as institutions,
  • contribute to the development of standards and good practices, and
  • be better protected from reprisals.

Engagement with international and regional partners, can also be a way for NPMs to contribute to strengthening the human rights system as a whole. This may include sharing information both with international and regional bodies, as well as good practices and ideas among NPMs and other oversight bodies themselves.

NPM Category
Engaging with others
NPM Topic
Interactions with international / regional bodies