Botswana has committ ed, at both the national and international levels, to establishing a Paris Principle compliant National Human Rights Institution by transforming the Offi ce of the Ombudsman into a hybrid institution which would perform the functions of a human rights institution in addition to its current mandate to investigate maladministration. Institutions such as National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) are key to ensuring eff ective national implementation of human rights obligations. NHRIs link the responsibilities of the State to the rights of citizens and connect national laws to regional and international human rights systems. The globally accepted international standards for the establishment and functioning of NHRIs are the “Paris Principles.” Paris-Principle compliant NHRIs are the cornerstone of national human rights protection systems and support Governments to meet their obligations to ‘respect, protect and fulfi l’ international human rights norms. The six main criteria that a national human rights institution must satisfy to be “Paris Principle compliant” are: 1. A broad mandate based on universal human rights standards; 2. Autonomy from Government; 3. Independence guaranteed by legislation or constitution; 4. Pluralism (diversity) including through membership and/or eff ective cooperation; 5. Adequate resources; and 6. Adequate powers of investigation. Paris Principle compliant NHRIs can come in various forms, but are typically a Commission (eg a Human Rights Commission) or an Ombudsman with human rights mandate. Both models can be eff ective and credible if the Paris Principles are satisfi ed. The Offi ce of the President, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have therefore convened a two-day national symposium “A National Human Rights Institution for Botswana” in Gaborone, Botswana on 20 – 21 November 2018. The symposium is a consultative forum, which will bring together Government, civil society and private sector stakeholders.