c. Various technical cooperation activities
The programme offers a wide range of human rights assistance projects, some of which are summarized below. It must be stressed, however, that the types of interventions described are merely indicative and not exhaustive. The results of needs assessments determine the type of technical cooperation project to be implemented.

National human rights institutions (The Paris  Principles)
A central objective of the Technical Cooperation Programme is to consoli- date and strengthen the role which national human rights institutions can play in the promotion and protection of human rights. In this context, the term national human rights institutions refers to bodies whose functions are specifically defined in terms of the promotion and protection of human rights, namely national human rights commissions and ombudsman offices, in accordance with the Paris Principles. OHCHR offers its services to Governments that are considering or in the process of establishing a national human rights institu- tion.
The activities relating to national human rights institutions under the pro- gramme are aimed at promoting the concept of national human rights institu- tions and encouraging their development. To this end, information material and a practical manual have been developed for those involved in the estab- lishment and administration of national institutions. In addition, a number of seminars and workshops have been conducted to provide government offi- cials, politicians, NGOs and others with information and expertise in the structure and functioning of such bodies. These events have also served as useful forums for the exchange of information and experience concerning the establishment and operation of  national human rights institutions.