Commonwealth Model National Plan of Action on Human Rights

While many countries seek to improve their capacity to protect and promote human rights in accordance with constitutional imperatives and Commonwealth values, they often lack a clear roadmap on how to do so. Currently, there is no single and easy-to-use model which Commonwealth countries can use as a basis for planning the process.

This guide will particularly useful for those in smaller countries who wish to develop a human rights plan. The action plan makes three key points: first, that full public participation in the development of a national action plan is key to a successful outcome; second, that putting the plan into operation need not mean adding another bureaucratic layer to government; and, third, that the model is a model only, and not intended to be prescriptive.