The Role Of Human Rights In Politics

The protection of human rights requires independent human rights mechanisms. Such mechanisms may take different forms in different communities, and there are several examples that could serve as a model for the implementation of human rights at the local level; local ombudspersons, consumer complaints boards, patient injury boards, anti-discrimination agencies, etc. The competences and structures of these mechanisms can be very diverse, but they must be seen as important means of safeguarding human rights and handling citizens’ complaints at first instance. Importantly, the establishment of a local human rights mechanism gives visibility to the role of local authorities in human rights protection. In order for them to effectively discharge their functions, these should be provided with sufficient human and financial resources and be accessible to everyone within the respective locality.