This article explores the vital role that National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) play in defending human rights in the face of growing counter-terrorism frameworks that put democratic supervision and the rule of law under more and more strain. The analysis emphasizes how securitization procedures run the potential of restricting fundamental freedoms, drawing on conversations from an OSCE ODIHR seminar at the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference. Although they face institutional barriers to access and capacity, NHRIs are positioned as crucial players in advancing accountability, transparency, and rights-based governance. In order to prevent rights-restrictive security measures from becoming more commonplace, the report emphasizes the necessity of increased institutional support and multi-level cooperation, especially with civil society and international organizations. It ends by restating the strategic significance of NHRIs within national and international protection systems as well as ODIHR’s longstanding dedication to a counter-terrorism strategy that complies with human rights.
