National Human Rights Institutions for Children—The International Experience

Abstract

This chapter introduces the concept of national human rights institutions for children to provide the international and theoretical context for the analysis of the Irish Ombudsman for Children that follows. It outlines the relevant international standards, including the Paris Principles on NHRIs, as well as the Committee on the Rights of the Child’s General Comment No. 2 on the role of independent national human rights institutions in the promotion and protection of children’s rights. The chapter makes the case for a distinct form of NHRI for the protection and promotion of children’s rights and considers the emergence of such institutions around the world, considering their diverse form and approach. The chapter explains the unique role played by the national children’s rights institution as a distinct body, with key lessons as to the features of such bodies that are instrumental for effective promotion and protection of children’s rights at a national level.