What we do

The Human Rights Implementation Centre (HRIC) was established in 2009, within the Law School of the University of Bristol, to enhance the implementation of human rights worldwide through research, education and discussion. The HRIC’s work therefore encompasses a range of complementary activities, including:

• conducting internationally recognised research aimed at enhancing implementation of human rights;
• providing expert advice on the implementation of human rights directly to treaty bodies, governments, national human rights institutions and non-governmental organisations;
• providing training on human rights law to practitioners including government officials, and representatives from national human rights institutions and non-governmental and civil society organisations;
• developing tools that can be used to facilitate implementation;
• assisting in the development of standards and documents that help interpret human rights law obligations;
• offering advice on human rights litigation at the national and regional levels;
• providing opportunities for students to gain experience in human rights law, including through pro-bono legal research assistance under the Human Rights Law Clinic.

Projects

The HRIC manages a portfolio of projects which, across a number of Divisions, aim to create a better understanding of, and ultimately strengthen, the implementation of human rights law worldwide:

• Implementation
• Human Rights in Africa
• Torture Prevention and the Optional Protocool to the UN Convention Against Torture (OPCAT)
• Mental Health
• National Human Rights Institutions

The HRIC is keen for its research to be practically applicable and relevant to a variety of policy-makers and other stakeholders. We hold various events, in collaboration with others. Staff at the HRIC include leaders in the field of international human rights law and are often approached for their expert advice. They are recognised as being at the forefront of human rights research and have contributed major academic publications to leading journals. The HRIC also welcomes a number of visiting staff who are human rights experts and practitioners.  

As a human rights organisation, the HRIC stands against those who contributed to slavery and other human rights violations, both past and present. Consequently, it uses a "decolonised" logo which is an attempt to remove any symbols depicting relationships with slavery, tobacco, and merchant activities.

Funding

Funding for the work of the HRIC has come from a range of different sources both internal and external: Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Oak Foundation, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Ministry of Justice, European Commission, Leverhulme Trust, and Open Society Foundations among others.  

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