1. Introduction
1.1 A changing environmen = 1
1.2 Institutional strengthening = 1
1.3 The value of national action plans = 2
1.4 What does this Handbook seek to do? = 3
1.5 Who is this Handbook for? = 4
1.6 The structure of the Handbook = 5
Part I: The Concept of a National Action Plan and Early Experiences
2. Development of the concept of national human rights action plans
2.1 The 1993 World Conference on Human Rights = 7
2.2 What did the Conference say about national action plans? = 7
2.3 Why were national action plans proposed? = 8
2.4 Purposes and benefits of national plans = 9
2.5 What has been done since Vienna? = 11
2.6 National plans of action for human rights education = 12
3. More about national human rights action plans . general principles
3.1 A process as well as an outcome = 13
3.2 Commitment to universal human rights standards = 14
3.3 Implementing international human rights obligations = 15
3.4 Interdependence and indivisibility of human rights = 18
3.5 Action orientation = 18
3.6 A public document = 19
3.7 Monitoring and evaluation = 19
3.8 A continuing process = 20
3.9 A national undertaking = 20
3.10 The international dimension = 21
3.11 Potential difficulties = 21
4. Eleven national action plans
4.1 Australia (1993) = 24
4.2 Malawi (1995) = 26
4.3 Latvia (1995) = 27
4.4 The Philippines (1996) = 28
4.5 Brazil (1997) = 30
4.6 Ecuador (1998) = 31
4.7 Indonesia (1998) = 32
4.8 Mexico (1998) = 34
4.9 South Africa (1998) = 35
4.10 Venezuela (1999) = 37
4.11 Bolivia (1997) = 38
4.12 Common elements of finalized plans = 39
Part II: Developing a National Action Plan
5. The preparatory phase of the plan
5.1 Five main stages = 41
5.2 Who should initiate = 41
5.3 Who should be involved = 42
5.4 The role of government and parliament = 43
5.5 How the preparatory phase should be managed = 44
5.6 National coordinating committee = 45
6. The role of national institutions and civil society
6.1 National human rights institutions = 51
6.2 Who constitutes civil society? = 51
6.3 Human rights NGOs = 52
6.4 NGOs and community-based organizations dealing with economic, social and cultural rights = 53
6.5 Educators, representatives of academic institutions, research institutions and human rights experts = 53
6.6 Representatives of the private business sector = 54
6.7 Representatives of philanthropic and other private funding organizations = 54
6.8 The media = 54
6.9 The general public = 55
7. Consultative mechanisms
7.1 The importance of the process = 56
7.2 Committees = 57
7.3 Public meetings and public hearings = 58
7.4 Participation through comment or other contributions = 59
8. The development phase of the plan
8.1 Conceptualizing the national action plan = 60
8.2 Preparation of a national human rights status report . a baseline study = 61
8.3 Identification of priorities = 65
8.4 Vulnerable groups = 66
8.5 Issues for special focus = 66
8.6 Drafting the plan = 66
8.7 Linkage with other national planning activities = 68
8.8 Time frames = 69
8.9 Legal status = 70
9. Content and structure of a plan
9.1 General issues = 72
9.2 Principles and objectives = 72
9.3 Scope of the plan = 73
9.4 Format = 74
9.5 Targets and benchmarks = 74
9.6 Responsibility for implementation = 77
9.7 Suggestions for the plan’s content = 77
Part III: Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation of a National Action Plan
10. Implementation of the plan
10.1 Implementing mechanisms = 86
10.2 Implementing partners = 87
10.3 Launching the plan = 88
10.4 Media and dissemination strategy = 88
10.5 Use of the plan in human rights education = 93
11. Monitoring
11.1 Monitoring and reporting techniques and mechanisms = 94
12. Evaluation and successor plans
12.1 Evaluation issues = 98
12.2 Initiation of successor plans = 99
13. Resources
13.1 Funding issues and strategies = 100
13.2 Institutional partnerships = 103
13.3 International assistance = 104
14. Regional and international partnerships
14.1 Sharing experience = 106
14.2 Regional and international workshops = 107
14.3 The United Nations = 107
14.4 Technical cooperation and OHCHR = 107
1.1 A changing environmen = 1
1.2 Institutional strengthening = 1
1.3 The value of national action plans = 2
1.4 What does this Handbook seek to do? = 3
1.5 Who is this Handbook for? = 4
1.6 The structure of the Handbook = 5
Part I: The Concept of a National Action Plan and Early Experiences
2. Development of the concept of national human rights action plans
2.1 The 1993 World Conference on Human Rights = 7
2.2 What did the Conference say about national action plans? = 7
2.3 Why were national action plans proposed? = 8
2.4 Purposes and benefits of national plans = 9
2.5 What has been done since Vienna? = 11
2.6 National plans of action for human rights education = 12
3. More about national human rights action plans . general principles
3.1 A process as well as an outcome = 13
3.2 Commitment to universal human rights standards = 14
3.3 Implementing international human rights obligations = 15
3.4 Interdependence and indivisibility of human rights = 18
3.5 Action orientation = 18
3.6 A public document = 19
3.7 Monitoring and evaluation = 19
3.8 A continuing process = 20
3.9 A national undertaking = 20
3.10 The international dimension = 21
3.11 Potential difficulties = 21
4. Eleven national action plans
4.1 Australia (1993) = 24
4.2 Malawi (1995) = 26
4.3 Latvia (1995) = 27
4.4 The Philippines (1996) = 28
4.5 Brazil (1997) = 30
4.6 Ecuador (1998) = 31
4.7 Indonesia (1998) = 32
4.8 Mexico (1998) = 34
4.9 South Africa (1998) = 35
4.10 Venezuela (1999) = 37
4.11 Bolivia (1997) = 38
4.12 Common elements of finalized plans = 39
Part II: Developing a National Action Plan
5. The preparatory phase of the plan
5.1 Five main stages = 41
5.2 Who should initiate = 41
5.3 Who should be involved = 42
5.4 The role of government and parliament = 43
5.5 How the preparatory phase should be managed = 44
5.6 National coordinating committee = 45
6. The role of national institutions and civil society
6.1 National human rights institutions = 51
6.2 Who constitutes civil society? = 51
6.3 Human rights NGOs = 52
6.4 NGOs and community-based organizations dealing with economic, social and cultural rights = 53
6.5 Educators, representatives of academic institutions, research institutions and human rights experts = 53
6.6 Representatives of the private business sector = 54
6.7 Representatives of philanthropic and other private funding organizations = 54
6.8 The media = 54
6.9 The general public = 55
7. Consultative mechanisms
7.1 The importance of the process = 56
7.2 Committees = 57
7.3 Public meetings and public hearings = 58
7.4 Participation through comment or other contributions = 59
8. The development phase of the plan
8.1 Conceptualizing the national action plan = 60
8.2 Preparation of a national human rights status report . a baseline study = 61
8.3 Identification of priorities = 65
8.4 Vulnerable groups = 66
8.5 Issues for special focus = 66
8.6 Drafting the plan = 66
8.7 Linkage with other national planning activities = 68
8.8 Time frames = 69
8.9 Legal status = 70
9. Content and structure of a plan
9.1 General issues = 72
9.2 Principles and objectives = 72
9.3 Scope of the plan = 73
9.4 Format = 74
9.5 Targets and benchmarks = 74
9.6 Responsibility for implementation = 77
9.7 Suggestions for the plan’s content = 77
Part III: Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation of a National Action Plan
10. Implementation of the plan
10.1 Implementing mechanisms = 86
10.2 Implementing partners = 87
10.3 Launching the plan = 88
10.4 Media and dissemination strategy = 88
10.5 Use of the plan in human rights education = 93
11. Monitoring
11.1 Monitoring and reporting techniques and mechanisms = 94
12. Evaluation and successor plans
12.1 Evaluation issues = 98
12.2 Initiation of successor plans = 99
13. Resources
13.1 Funding issues and strategies = 100
13.2 Institutional partnerships = 103
13.3 International assistance = 104
14. Regional and international partnerships
14.1 Sharing experience = 106
14.2 Regional and international workshops = 107
14.3 The United Nations = 107
14.4 Technical cooperation and OHCHR = 107