Human Rights

While States bear the primary responsibility to protect and respect human rights, local and regional governments have a complementary role to play. Within their competences, they take a lot of legislative, budgetary, administrative, promotional, educational and other measures that might restrict or advance the fulfillment of human rights on the ground. Hence the importance to include local and regional governments in the international human rights system. That is why the GCH engages in the UN Human Rights Council and with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which address relevant issues for local and regional governments.