Annual IHRN training programmes address human rights-based approaches in the context of specific sectors and contexts. Participants include personnel from IGO country teams, EC delegations, bi-lateral donor development agencies, NGOs and individual consultants. Training programmes include:
“Justice/Security Sector Reform: Applying Human Rights Based Approaches” Monday 23rd June to Friday 27th June 2025
This training programme has been delivered annually at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth since 2003 – covering needs assessment through programme design to implementation, monitoring & evaluation, including police/judicial/penal reform and application of international legal standards and best-practice. The Programme covers, the legal principles & practice underpinning HRBA to justice/security sector reform; inter-linkages between sector actors; Human Rights Based needs assessment, programme design implementation, as well as monitoring & evaluation. Participants are drawn from justice sector institutions (prosecution, judiciary, police, military& corrections) & regulatory bodies (inspectorates; judicial councils, NHRIs), UN agencies and EC Delegations engaged in justice & security sector reform.
Previous HRBA Training Programmes include:
Delivered in Ireland, Uganda and Rwanda. Covering both methodological skills and substantive law and practice on HRBA in the context of PCM. Participants were drawn from multi-lateral and bi-lateral agencies (UN, EC delegations, bi-lateral donors etc) as well as development NGOs and CSOs, national planning ministries, national human rights institutions etc.
This residential training programme covering both methodological human rights skills and substantive law relating to applied human rights work. The programme includes 2 day rolling simulation exercise (in co-operation with Irish Defence Forces training camp and Garda Síochána (Irish Police Service). Participants are drawn from government ministries, law enforcement, military personnel, UN agencies (OHCHR; UNHCR, UNDP etc), EC delegation staff, NGOs, peacekeepers, CIVPOL personnel and national human rights institutions etc.
IHRN was commissioned to advise the European Commission regarding design of its evaluation of the HRFOR field mission (1996, team provided).
IHRN was commissioned to independently evaluate the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights office in Colombia at the request of six donor states (2002, team provided). For background, see Evaluation.
IHRN has contributed to the design of policy and delivery of operational training by OHCHR, the OSCE, international military personnel in Sweden, Switzerland and the UK as well as by international field missions.
As part of the advocacy of the findings of Towards Effective Training, IHRN was commissioned to advise the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe on the training needs of the hundreds of officials who would join the expanded OSCE mission to Croatia in 1997. The team was led by Karen Kenny and included Paul LaRose Edwards and Brian McKeown.
The EU’s first international human rights operation was a contribution of personnel to the UN Human Rights Operation in Rwanda up to 1997. In 2003, the EU Police Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina succeeded the International Police Task Force.
Since 2003, in preparation for future EU-fielded international civilian missions, the EU has funded pre-mission generic training in thirteen member states and planned rosters of stand-by EU civilian experts. IHRN has made a number of recommendations regarding this approach as part of its on-going advocacy of effective field training – and the related imperative that such training be based on organisational learning and accountability for impact.
The European Commission and member states funded fourteen pilot courses in a range of related topics (including rule of law, democratisation). In 2004 IHRN was also commissioned to design, and lead the delivery of, a pilot pre-mission human rights training course. It focussed on substantive human rights field skills including participatory approaches to human rights monitoring, structural diagnosis of root causes, human rights education and promotion, capacity-building as well as influencing development policies and programmes for change. The course was commissioned by Peaceworkers UK on behalf of UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the European Commission.
In November 2008 IHRN was commissioned by the Council of Europe to provide training support to the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM). An IHRN team provided training on monitoring methodologies in EUMM Field Offices and developed a handbook for use by Mission monitors in 2009.