HRIA Conference 2006

On 23 and 24 November 2006 an international conference on Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) took place in Zandvoort, the Netherlands. Organised by the Humanist Committee on Human Rights (HOM), the conference "Human Rights Impact Assessment in Practice" aimed to stimulate the development and use of HRIA tools in various areas through discussion and exchange of experiences.

The conference attracted over 65 participants from different backgrounds and various thematic areas. Participants included officials from international organisations such as the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights, local and (inter-)national human rights and development NGO's, academic institutions, government institutions such as the Dutch Ministery of Foreign Affairs, and consultants.  

During the two day conference a number of issues that are important to HRIA were discussed in-depth. In plenary sessions and workshops devoted to particular thematic areas participants presented practical HRIA tools and shared their experiences regarding development, testing, use and results. By providing examples and discussing best practices and challenges regarding the application of HRIA, different groups had the opportunity to learn from each other.

In addition, HOM's newly established Human Rights Impact Resource Center was presented as a way for future exchange and cooperation on HRIA. (See also Participation)

At the end of the conference participants agreed that it is important to address challenges arising from the use of HRIA by continuing the practical testing of tools. The combined experiences also showed that there is not one general HRIA instrument, but rather a multitude of different tools adjusted to suit specific contexts and thematic issues and needs.

Other cross-cutting issues that were discussed were:

  • the need for flexibility of the instrument;
  • strategic use of HRIA: integration in existing impact assessments or development of a separate instrument;
  • the role and degree of stakeholder participation.

A comprehensive report describing the main issues discussed and lessons learned in the workshops and plenary sessions is now available. You can find it on the right-hand menu.