<p>The study conducted a comprehensive study of the role and specific features of the functioning of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) in the system of human rights protection at the international and regional levels. The study aimed to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the activities of NHRIs in the leading countries of the world and Central Asia, to identify their key achievements and challenges. The methodological basis of the study was based on the comparative legal method for analyzing the activities of human rights institutions in different countries, a systematic approach to studying their institutional mechanisms and assessing the effectiveness of implemented practices. The study determined that NHRIs in leading countries significantly contributed to the development and implementation of innovative mechanisms for the protection of human rights. The Danish Institute for Human Rights has developed a cutting-edge methodology for human rights impact assessment, the Australian Commission has created an effective system for handling individual complaints, and the German Institute has introduced a program for monitoring human rights in the corporate sector. The analysis of the experience of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan has demonstrated significant progress in the development of their NHRIs. An important achievement was the granting of “B” status under the Paris Principles to the Kazakh Ombudsman in 2022. At the same time, several challenges were identified: the need to expand the mandate of the Ombudsman in economic and social rights in Kazakhstan and the need to strengthen the material and technical base of the institution in Kyrgyzstan.</p>