More than a decade ago, a former Commissioner in a national human rights institution in the Asia-Pacific gave an answer to the question: What makes an institution effective?
His answer: People.
Beyond all the requirements of a supposedly proper national human rights institution upon which it is judged (or accredited), what matters most are the people who run the programs and do the work on the ground.
People who have the commitment to serve those who suffer human rights violations, keen grasp of the situation to be able to map out human rights interventions, and the vision to promote human rights at every possible opportunity are valuable assets of a national human rights institution.
The earnestness of people in national human rights institutions is an indispensable trait that Commissioners/Ombudspersons, officials and staff have to have. They can expand their knowledge on human rights and develop their skills; but they have to have from the beginning the innate trait of commitment and earnestness in the work they have to do.
The country is served best by a national human rights institution that has the right people in place.