MAAP 2022-24 - Action 10 - National Human Rights Institutions Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of 9 June 2021 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument ()) ¿NDICI Regulation¿) states that the protection of human rights defenders including in the most difficult circumstances and urgent situations as a specific objective of the Instrument in Article 3((2).). In line with the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) ,,, practical support to HRDs includes ¿encouraging and supporting the establishment, and work, of national bodies for the promotion and protection of human rights, established in accordance with the Paris Principles, including, National Human Rights Institutions¿.The establishment and functioning of independent and effective National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) is essential for the implementation of human rights, democratic and rule of law standards at the national level. NHRIs are crucial actors in the broader human rights architecture. They are uniquely placed to hold governments to account and to monitor, promote and protect human rights. Support to NHRIs and their networks at global and regional levels have long been a priority of the EU external action in the field of human rights.&nbsp;Building on past achievements and lessons learned of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) ,,, the Action will pursue and reinforce its support to NHRI networks at global level (the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI)) and at regional level (Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (APF), the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI), the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI) and the Network of the National Human Rights Institutions of the Americas (RINDHCA)). The action will continue working along strategic axes: i) capacity-building and peer-to-peer exchanges; ii) support to NHRIs¿ work as HRDs and their engagement to protect HRDs and civic space; iii) support to NHRIs accreditation process and engagement with international and regional human rights bodies; iii) reinforcement of global and regional networks capacity; and iv) enhance NHRIs effectiveness on key thematic areas, including human rights based approach to SDGs and the environment as well as torture prevention.&nbsp;Since 2015, the EU supports global and regional networks of NHRIs to reinforce their action and structure, as well as to build capacity of NHRIs at national level, through the implementation of the programme NHRI.EU phases 1 and 2.The action will contribute to the following specific objective and result of the human rights and democracy thematic programme multi-annual indicative programme: to enhance strategic partnership with and improve effectiveness of key international, regional and national actors to advance the realization of all human rights for all (specific objective), and to strengthened capacities of NHRIs and broadened engagement platforms between NHRIs, civil society organizations, national authorities and regional and international human rights bodies (expected result).&nbsp;The EU support will contribute to the whole SDG framework and in particular SDGs 16, 5, 10 and 17.