Abstract

The potential contributions that National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) can make in post-conflict settings has drawn increased attention from academics and practitioners alike. For some, NHRIs can assume positive roles assisting not only in the protection and promotion of human rights but also in peacebuilding and transitional justice processes. Conversely, scholars identify a spectrum of potential obstacles that may hinder the translation of this potential into practice. Others assess that NHRIs can even hamper efforts to transition from conflict to peace. Existing literature identifies a number of factors that determine the contributions that NHRIs can make in conflict-affected settings. These include the institutional design of an NHRI, the degree of autonomy from the government, and the level of expertise needed to navigate the post-conflict landscape. This article considers a number of mechanisms and avenues available that could help NHRIs to navigate post-conflict transitions. Specifically, the article examines the potential impact of peace agreements that include provisions on NHRIs; post-conflict guidelines developed for NHRIs operating in conflict-affected settings; and various accountability-based mechanisms that monitor NHRIs and post-conflict governments on an ongoing basis. After considering how these options could support the positive contributions that NHRIs make to peace, the article will argue that more questions than answers arise. By identifying these uncertainties, however, the discussion helps illuminate important gaps in the literature, pointing to the need for a more comprehensive and integrated research agenda on NHRIs in post-conflict contexts.

中文翻译：

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冲突后国家人权机构：不断发展的研究议程？

摘要

国家人权机构（NHRI）在冲突后环境中可能做出的潜在贡献引起了学者和从业者的越来越多的关注。对于某些国家而言，国家人权机构可以发挥积极作用，不仅在保护和促进人权方面提供协助，而且在建设和平和过渡时期司法程序方面也提供帮助。相反，学者们发现了一系列潜在的障碍，这些障碍可能会阻碍将这种潜力转化为实践。其他人则认为，国家人权机构甚至可能阻碍从冲突向和平过渡的努力。现有文献确定了许多因素，这些因素决定了国家人权机构在受冲突影响的环境中所能做出的贡献。其中包括国家人权机构的机构设计，政府的自治程度，以及应对冲突后形势所需的专业知识水平。本文考虑了许多可用的机制和途径，它们可以帮助国家人权机构解决冲突后的过渡。具体而言，该文章审查了包括关于国家人权机构条款在内的和平协议的潜在影响；为在受冲突影响的环境中运作的国家人权机构制定了冲突后准则；以及各种基于问责制的机制，用于持续监控国家人权机构和冲突后政府。在考虑了这些选择如何支持国家人权机构对和平做出的积极贡献之后，本文将论证，提出的问题多于答案。但是，通过确定这些不确定性，讨论有助于阐明文献中的重要空白，