National Human Rights Institutions as Bridge Builders between the State and the Multi-Layered Human Rights System? An International Legal Analysis from a European Perspective.

‘What does the international legal examination of international (UN, European and network) regulatory frameworks concerning (European) NHRIs tell us about the position of NHRIs towards the state in the multi-layered human rights system?’ This is the overarching research question this dissertation aims to answer.  
Accordingly, two common threads run throughout the dissertation:
1. the international legal approach to the study of NHRIs as bridge-builders in a multi-layered human rights system;2. attention for the specific position of the state –and NHRIs as state institutions- on the basis of the analysis of the multi-layered regulation concerning NHRIs (which addresses domestic and supra-national aspects of NHRIs)
The dissertation is divided in two overarching parts:
Part I. The international legal analysis of international regulatory frameworks concerning (European) NHRIs, encompassing 3 different but interlinked regulatory frameworks:
1. UN regulatory frameworks concerning NHRIs
2. European (CoE, OSCE and EU) regulatory frameworks concerning NHRIs
3. Network regulatory frameworks concerning NHRIs
Part II. Revisiting (European) NHRIs from the perspective of their multi-layered regulation, addressing three themes:
1. The multi-layered identification of (European) NHRIs
2. The multi-layered role of (European) NHRIs
3. The multi-layered status of (European) NHRIs
Intermediary conclusions at the end of each chapter wrap up the main findings with regards each of the regulatory frameworks/ themes addressed. Overarching conclusions at the end of the dissertation bring together the research findings in a cross-cutting manner with special attention for the assessment of the position of NHRIs towards the state in the multi-layered human rights system. The main recommendations for policy-makers across the different regulatory frameworks studied are formulated, and avenues for further research are highlighted in the final conclusions too.