Parliamentary Ombudsman participates in Global Human Rights Planning Conference at University of Liverpool

Parliamentary Ombudsman participates in Global Human Rights Planning Conference at University of Liverpool

Published June 04, 2025

The Parliamentary Ombudsman, Judge Joseph Zammit McKeon, is currently participating in a high-level international workshop on “Global Network on National Human Rights Action Planning: Uncovering 30 Years of NHRAPing – Lessons from the Five Continents.” The event is being hosted by the School of Law and Social Justice at the University of Liverpool and brings together a distinguished group of global experts in human rights, including representatives from national governments, international institutions, national human rights institutions (NHRIs), academic institutions, and civil society.

National Human Rights Action Plans (NHRAPs) have played a vital role over the past three decades in giving effect to international human rights commitments within national frameworks. Recognised by the United Nations General Assembly as a cornerstone of effective human rights implementation, over 155 NHRAPs have been adopted in more than 80 countries worldwide.

This three-day workshop marks the largest international gathering focused on NHRAPs to date. It is intended not only as an occasion to reflect on thirty years of national human rights planning across all world regions, but also as the foundation for a lasting global network of stakeholders. Discussions throughout the workshop span a wide range of themes, including the origins and development of NHRAPs, regional experiences from Europe, Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and the digitalisation of human rights action planning.

Judge Zammit McKeon is contributing to the session dedicated to the role of National Human Rights Institutions in advancing and sustaining NHRAPs. He is delivering a presentation entitled “Having a National Human Rights Institution: The Malta Experience,” in which he outlines Malta’s current position as one of the few EU Member States without a recognised NHRI. Drawing from the Ombudsman’s ongoing advocacy for the establishment of an NHRI in Malta in accordance with the UN Paris Principles, Judge Zammit McKeon is sharing the Maltese experience as a case study in the broader conversation on institutional readiness and human rights planning.

The workshop, supported by key partners including the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UNDP, and the Council of Europe, is facilitating a much-needed exchange of best practices, challenges, and strategies for strengthening national human rights systems. It also aims to build long-term collaboration among global actors committed to the realisation of human rights at the national level.

Speakers on the first day of the workshop included:

Professor Tim Jones, Vice Chancellor of the University of Liverpool; Professor Valsamis Mitsilegas, Dean of the School of Law and Social Justice; and Dr Azadeh Chalabi, Founder of the Network and Workshop Organiser.

Panel 1 – Origins, Developments and Evaluation of NHRAPing: 30 Years On was chaired by Sergey Dikman, Adviser on Strategic Co-operation Development at the Council of Europe. Speakers included Professor Michael O’Flaherty, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe; Mr Bill Barker, author of the UNOHCHR Handbook on NHRAPs; Mr David Johnson, former UNOHCHR Regional Representative and NHRAP Focal Point; Dr Stéphanie Lagoutte, Senior Researcher at the Danish Institute for Human Rights; and Dr Azadeh Chalabi, Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Liverpool.

Panel 2 – European Experience in NHRAPing I was chaired by Professor Padraig McAuliffe from the University of Liverpool. Speakers included Professor José García-Añón from the University of Valencia; Professor Maria Gavouneli and Dr Christos Tsevas from the Greek National Commission for Human Rights; Ms Anna Saarela and Ms Nanni Olsson from the Ministry of Justice, Finland; and Dr Jolita Miliuvienė, Parliamentary Ombudsperson of Lithuania.

Panel 3 – NHRAPing in Scotland: From A to Z was chaired by Dr Amanda Cahill-Ripley. Speakers included Dr Alison Hosie from the Scottish Human Rights Commission; Professor Jo Edson Ferrie from the University of Glasgow; Ms Clare MacGillivray from Making Rights Real, Scotland; Mr Charlie McMillan, Co-chair of SNAP 2 Leadership Panel; Ms Lucy Mulvagh from the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland; and discussant Mr Nick Bland, Deputy Director for Equality and Inclusion, Scottish Government.

Panel 4 – European Experience in NHRAPing II was chaired by Mr Vincent Hitabatuma from the Federal Institute for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights (Belgium). Speakers included Mr Michael Windfuhr from the German Institute for Human Rights; Ms Anne Dijkman, Ms Sanne Staaltjens and Dr Jan-Willem Rossem from the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights and the Ministry of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations; Dr Pietro de Perini and Professor Paolo De Stefani from the University of Padova; Ms Mariam Chiflikyan, Adviser to the Ministry of Justice of Armenia; Ms Kristin Høgdahl from the Norwegian Human Rights Institute; and Ms Melissa Wood from the Legislative Options Working Group (Wales).

The first day of the conference illustrated both the diversity and the shared challenges of national human rights action planning, providing a solid foundation for the global dialogue to continue over the coming sessions.