The Steering Committee on Human Rights (CDDH) has been entrusted by the Committee of Ministers with the task of conducting a study on the impact of current national legislation, policies and practices on the activities of civil society organisations, human rights defenders and national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights, and identifying the best national practices to protect and promote the civil society space.

The work of the Drafting Group on civil society and national human rights institutions (CDDH-INST) led to the adoption by the Committee of Ministers of the three following Recommendations :

• Recommendation CM/Rec(2021)1 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on the development and strengthening of effective, pluralist and independent national human rights institutions (Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 31 March 2021 at the 1400^th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies)
• Recommendation CM/Rec(2019) of the Committee of Ministers to member States on the development of the Ombudsman institution (adopted at the 1357^th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies, on 16 October 2019).
• Recommendation CM/Rec(2018)11 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on the need to strengthen the protection and promotion of civil society space in Europe (adopted at the 1330^th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies, on 28 November 2018)