July 2004: National Human Rights Institutions: Building an Effective Media and Communication Programme

The British Council and the Ghana Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice held a workshop in Accra in July 2004 for representatives of 12 Commonwealth National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs).

The workshop aimed to help NHRIs develop strategies to engage and work more effectively with the media to communicate key messages on domestic human rights issues, and thus contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights. The workshop also aimed to provide a forum for the exchange of information and ideas between representatives from a range of NHRIs on their media and communication strategies.

The workshop was organised by the British Council and the Ghana Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, with expert advice from the Asia-Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions. Financial support was provided by the British Council and UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The report on the workshop can be accessed here, together with the programme and list of participants made during the programme.

A media handbook was developed as a resource for workshop participants and their NHRIs as an instruction to some of the key issues facing NHRIs as they seek to advance their human rights messages through the media. The handbook can be downloaded freely here.