Introduction
A wide variety of instruments have been approved for the promotion and protection of human rights at the international level, giving rise to an equal variety of mechanisms that supervise compliance with the responsibilities contained therein, primarily through the review of State reports, resulting in recommendations that guide the process of improving standards of promotion and protection, in accordance with International Human Rights Law.
The growing number of obligations derived not only from international instruments, but also from the recommendations of their supervisory mechanisms, means that States experience a common difficulty in terms of their efficient follow-up and implementation, and the adequate and timely submission of reports, whether from the United Nations system or regional human rights systems.
One of the most important advances in addressing this problem has been the development of the National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting and Follow-up (NMIRFs). These are state mechanisms responsible for coordinating the preparation of reports and promoting the follow-up and implementation of international human rights recommendations.
The establishment of NMIRFs has been the subject of increasing debate in the international system. The UN Human Rights Council adopted four resolutions on this issue: 30/25 (2015), 36/29 (2017), 42/30 (2019) and 51/33 (2022). Its usefulness has also been highlighted in reports by the SecretaryGeneral and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council. States, for their part, have recognized the importance of the issue and have created a Group of Friends of the NMIRFs.
Background to the Paraguayan Experience
Faced with the need to strengthen the State’s capacities to address its particular challenges in the matter, Paraguay developed and put into operation the System for Monitoring Recommendations – SIMORE Plus, as a result of a process of gradual improvement initiated in 2011, with a “Recommendation Search Engine”, which then gave rise, in 2014, to SIMORE as a monitoring and reporting mechanism, and later took a qualitative leap in 2017, to SIMORE Plus version.
SIMORE Plus is supported by an online public access platform and operates in Paraguay with a network of about 150 focal points of about 65 institutions of the three branches of government, coordinated by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Justice. It incorporates the monitoring of human rights recommendations and introduces the platform for the participation of civil society organizations, in addition to other functional improvements.
Based on this experience, Paraguay was presented as an exemplary country at the 28th session of the Human Rights Council in 2015. From there, it brought the issue in the debates of the Council, promoted the approval of resolutions aimed at promoting international cooperation in this area in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2022, and developed the SIMORE Paraguay Technical Cooperation Program (PCT SIMORE Paraguay), shared with various Latin American countries.
Objectives of the SIMORE Paraguay Technical Cooperation Program
To provide technical assistance for the installation and implementation of a NMIRF whose work methodology is based on an online system for monitoring the implementation of international human rights recommendations, based on the experience of the Paraguayan System for Monitoring Recommendations (SIMORE Plus).
a. Specific Objectives
- Provide advice and exchange experiences for the installation of an NMIRF based on the experience of the SIMORE Plus of Paraguay.
- To support the establishment and/or consolidation of a Focal Point Network to support the operation and sustainability of the mechanism, providing advice and training according to the SIMORE Plus work methodology.
- Facilitate the installation of the necessary software for the operation of the mechanism, sharing the Source Code and providing technical assistance for eventual adaptations that each national context may require.
b. Characterization of the Technical Cooperation Program
The main axis of cooperation is based on the political-institutional field, since it promotes the installation and strengthening of capacities in national institutions in charge of the follow-up and implementation of human rights recommendations, as well as in the elaboration of reports and the generation of public policies that mainstream such recommendations.
c. Exchange of Experiences
The implementation of the program is carried out in two stages, being necessary, as an indispensable requirement for the installation of the capacities established in the objectives of the PCT SIMORE Paraguay, to have an inter-institutional mechanism or instance with competence in human rights, in order to follow up on the recommendations received from the international human rights system. For this purpose, a “Network of Focal Points” should be established; that is to say, an instance that will be in charge of the work related to the follow-up of the recommendations. Each competent institution, as part of the inter-institutional mechanism, must designate at least one “Focal Point”, who will follow up on the recommendations and report periodically in the system on the actions carried out for their implementation. During the different cooperation stages, the Focal Points are trained by the SIMORE Plus Paraguay management team on the methodology to follow up the implementation of the recommendations through the system.
d. Software Installation
As part of the implementation of the cooperation program, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay performs the technology transfer, that is, the provision of the SIMORE Plus software source code. This is transferred directly to the national institution that will host the platform on its servers.
e. Budgetary Aspects
The implementation of the PCT SIMORE Paraguay contemplates two stages of transfer of experiences to the recipient country, by a technical team with at least two visits. Travel, accommodation and per diem expenses must be covered by one of the parties in the first stage and by the other in the second stage; the technology transfer is free of charge. Financial or technical assistance may be received from third parties that may contribute to the development of the PCT SIMORE Paraguay, under the condition of achieving its objectives.
f. Legal Aspects
The PCT SIMORE Paraguay is implemented through an Interinstitutional Agreement between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay and the institution designated in the recipient country as administrator/coordinator of the mechanism. This Agreement does not generate legally binding obligation for the Parties or for their respective States in the field of International Law and any controversy derived from its interpretation or implementation will be solved through direct negotiations.
g. Other considerations
The PCT SIMORE Paraguay is based on the South-South Cooperation principles of solidarity, complementarity, equality, respect and non-conditionality, seeking to establish an associative platform in conditions of horizontality and mutual benefit, for the exchange of knowledge and experiences and the strengthening of capacities. To date, this Technical Cooperation Program has been successfully implemented in several countries1 in the region and in the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
- When: March 19, 2025; 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM EST
- Format: Hybrid
- In-Person Venue: Amartya Sen Conf room, 10th floor, FF Building, 304 East 45th Street
- Join us online: Zoom link
About the Event
Join us for an informative briefing on Paraguay’s innovative System for Monitoring Recommendations (SIMORE Plus) and its Technical Cooperation Program. This event will showcase how Paraguay has developed an effective National Mechanism for Implementation, Reporting and Follow-up (NMIRF) to address human rights recommendations from international bodies.
Why Attend
Learn how Paraguay’s SIMORE Plus system helps governments efficiently track and implement human rights recommendations through:
- Coordination among multiple government institutions
- Online public access platforms
- Civil society participation
- Networks of trained focal points
This briefing is particularly relevant for government officials, human rights practitioners, and organizations interested in strengthening national human rights monitoring and reporting systems.
Agenda
- 10:00 – 10:05 AM: Welcome Remarks by Dima Al-Khatib, Director, UN Office for South-South Cooperation
- 10:06 – 10:10 AM: Introductory Remarks by H.E. Amb. Marcelo Scarppini Ricciardi, Permanent Representative of Paraguay to the UN
- 10:11 – 10:16 AM: Introductory Remarks on SIMORE by Mr. Raul Martinez, Director General of the Paraguay Human Rights Office
- 10:17 – 10:40 AM: Presentation on SIMORE concept and the Technical Cooperation Program by Mr. Ricardo Ortega Diaz, Expert
- 10:41 – 10:55 AM: Open Discussion
- 10:56 – 11:00 AM: Closing remarks and follow-up action