IPHRC’s objectives and mandates cover a wide range of activities including the following:

• Advising OIC’s policy-and-decision-making bodies on all matters concerning human rights.
• Undertaking studies and research in the field of human rights.
• Advancing human rights and fundamental freedoms in Member States as well as fundamental rights of Muslim minorities and communities in non-member States in conformity with the universally recognized human rights norms and standards with the added value of Islamic principles of justice and equality.
• Promoting and strengthening human rights in Member States by providing “technical cooperation and assistance in the field of human rights and awareness-raising”.
• Pursuing interfaith and intercultural dialogue as a tool to promote peace and harmony among various civilizations and promote the true image of Islam.
• Extending support to Member States and their national institutions in the promotion and protection of human rights for all in an independent manner.
• Reviewing OIC’s own human rights instruments and recommending ways for their fine-tuning, as and where appropriate, including the option of recommending new mechanisms and covenants.
• Promoting cooperative working relations with relevant bodies of UN and OIC, as well as relevant regional human rights mechanisms.
• Promoting and supporting the role of Member States’ accredited civil society organizations.
• Participating in missions for observing elections in Member States.

IPHRC follows the internationally recognized norms, standards and procedures for ensuring objectivity, independence and professionalism in the performance of its mandated tasks.

Each elected Commissioner is required to make a solemn declaration, before assuming responsibilities, for faithfully discharging her / his responsibilities with professionalism, truthfulness, independence, impartiality and integrity. In exercise of their functions, Commissioners are bound to uphold utmost professionalism, truthfulness, independence, impartiality and integrity whilst enhancing their moral authority and credibility, free from any kind of extraneous influence. Commissioners are barred from receiving instructions from any State, including their own, or any third party.

IPHRC has a number of unique features distinct from other existing mechanisms. With its Member States spread over four continents, most of them covered by their respective regional and sub-regional mechanisms, IPHRC is designed to work as a cross-regional human rights mechanism that brings together and promotes the universal character of human rights. It also has a global dimension as its multifaceted role extends to issues on international human rights agenda that equally affect the lives of human beings in Member and non-member States.

While working in cooperative manner with all relevant mechanisms, the Commission tries to avoid duplication, works on areas of complementarities and value-addition and focuses on the promotion and protection of human rights.