IILHR has developed a wide-ranging resource tool and reference guide that can provide needed support to fully establish the new Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights.

“Iraq’s High Commission for Human Rights: Bylaws, Regulations, and Legal Framework” starts with international standards and the commission’s enabling legislation as a framework, and it then considers more than 30 country examples to support the process of developing an infrastructure, rules of procedure, complaints handling regulations, financial and procurement regulations, staffing regulations, codes of conduct, and a host of other issues.

The toolkit is organized by topic and each section considers the current legal framework as well as country examples relating to how each task may be accomplished. It also includes recommendations tailored to the new commission and the Iraqi context for stakeholders to consider. The toolkit also addresses the importance of collaboration with civil society and potential mechanisms for coordination with government, parliament, donors, and other groups. Where appropriate, IILHR provides sample regulations and procedures for each issue as a starting point for development and consideration.

Though there is extensive research on national human rights institutions, much of it is theoretical and specific comparative examples are seriously lacking. IILHR developed this book to fill that research gap and provide tangible examples for consideration that can be used not only by the Iraqi Commission but also by other national human rights institutions worldwide.