Norm Compliance and International Status: National Human Rights Institutions in Domestic and Global Politics

Abstract

Traditional literature associates status-seeking with aggressive behaviour based on state attributes such as military and economic capacities. This article argues that both material and ideational attributes help to confer status. It demonstrates that fundamental values, such as the rule of law and human rights, act as structural incentives for states to adopt prevailing international norms. It does so by analysing the creation of independent national institutions for the protection and promotion of human rights (also known as national human rights institutions [NHRIs]) in line with the Paris Principles adopted by the UN General Assembly. The article reaffirms the power of club membership in international relations, as governments choose to establish NHRIs despite the fact that these institutions serve to expose their human rights deficiencies and wrongdoings. It warns, however, that some governments might attempt to influence how NHRIs exercise their stratified rights as members of the global NHRI club (the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions) by pressuring them to align their views of the state’s human rights record in international forums with those of the government. The article sheds additional light on the importance of domestic political dynamics in status-seeking and status-keeping, which is an overlooked subject in the status literature. Finally, the article raises concerns about the pledge to create NHRIs in all UN member states by 2030, as expressed by Sustainable Development Goal 16, citing a genuine risk of individual NHRIs being captured by their governments in the current climate of democratic backsliding. In light of this, the article deepens our understanding of the interplay between global aspirations, status-seeking, and the integrity of human rights institutions.