The SHRI is Switzerland’s independent national human rights institution. It contributes to the protection and promotion of human rights in all areas of life and at all levels of government in Switzerland.

The tasks of the SHRI enshrined in the Federal Act on Civilian Peacebuilding and Promotion of Human Rights include in particular:

• Information and documentation on the human rights situation in Switzerland;
• Practice-oriented research on human rights violations, legal and institutional deficits and strengthening human rights protection in regard to legislation, jurisprudence and administrative practice;
• Advising the administration of the federal government, cantons and municipalities as well as the economy sector and civil society organisations on the implementation of human rights;
• Promoting dialogue and cooperation and thereby creating synergies between government agencies, academia, the economy sector and civil society;
• Human rights education at all levels of education and training, as well as raising awareness among the general public to strengthen the protection of human rights;
• International exchange, especially with other national human rights institutions.

The SHRI performs important functions for the human rights mechanisms of the UN or the Council of Europe. It can cooperate in state reporting procedures on individual human rights covenants, promote the implementation of the recommendations by the state or promote the ratification of new human rights treaties.

Short video about the SHRI : https://vimeo.com/1007984020