State & the Ombudsman (Ombudspersons)
As the State is the main human rights guarantor, it has to ensure that human rights are respected and protected in the country. Human rights have to be respected and included in the decision making and in actions by all state institutions – courts, law enforcement, governmental and municipal institutions etc. In addition to this requirement, in Croatia, the national ombudsman – Pučki pravobranitelj – oversees the respect and protection of human rights in the country. In addtition to the general Ombudsperson, there are three specialed Ombudspersons that protect human rights of specific groups: Ombudsperson for children, Ombudsperson for gender equality and Ombudsperson for persons with disabilities.The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia – Ustavni sud – can review whether different laws and regulations violate human rights.
Read more about the Ombudsman (Pučki pravobranitelj).
Read more about the Constitutional Court (Ustavni sud).
European & International institutions
Often, when a State is responsible for human rights violations, its national protection scheme is not sufficient to address the problem. There are, therefore, several international institutions that supervise and enforce human rights obligations on the States. Such institutions can be international courts (like the European Court of Human Rights) or monitoring types of institutions (like the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment).
Read about which institutions are accessible to you as an individual.
Organisations
Human rights are also monitored and defended by national and international non-governmental organizations. These are most often private non-profit organizations that work for the advocacy of certain rights at different levels, offer legal aid to the victims of human rights violations and/or organize awareness raising campaigns. Many non-governmental organizations worldwide have been instrumental in achieving changes to combat insufficiently protected human rights.
Read about organisations in Croatia that work with human rights.