National institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights

Following the World War II and especially after the 1990s when the Cold War ended, national human rights institutions have been established in a great deal of countries. Institutionalization process in human rights area has been promoted by various international institutions, primarily by the United Nations. Gaining speed of the process has brought about a need for identification and standardization. With the United Nations General Assembly Resolution dated 1993 that is also known as Paris Principles, guiding principles related to duty, authority and status, and formation and independence of national human rights institutions were determined. Although the Paris Principles determines the general principles concerning national human rights institutions, they do not propose a certain model to the states about this issue and they recognize that choosing the most suitable framework for its own requirements at national level in parallel with these principles is every state?s own right. In our country, in spite of the existence of a wide range and widespread human rights institutionalization within the state structure, there is not an institutional entity consistent with the Paris Principles. Whether the establishment of a human rights institution convenient to the Paris Principles in addition to the present structuring that exist fort he protection of human rights is necessary or not, and if such an institution is established, how the structure, composition, duty, authority and function of it will be determined is a technical preference problem as well as a political and legal one simultaneously.Key WordsProtection of Human RightsNon-judicial protectionNational Human Rights InstitutionsThe Paris PrinciplesOmbudsman