This study looks at governmental human rights focal points (GHRFPs), understood as states’ administrative structures mandated to provide the human rights response of the executive power and ensure human rights implementation at the national level through expertise-building, mainstreaming and coordination. GHRFPs are considered by international human actors—including the Danish Institute for Human Rights—to be a key element of national human rights systems, alongside National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs).GHRFPs have spread across countries in various shapes—from human rights ministries to interministerial delegations—and with various mandates—either comprehensive or thematic. GHRFPs have not been apprehended as a single phenomenon, neither in academic investigations nor in international or regional guidance. International guidance for GHRFPs is fragmented, with human rights actors recommending different formulas over time—from national coordination committees to National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting and Follow-up. The absence of a generic referential set of standards cutting across GHRFPs’ diversity may explain this disjointed approach and limited research identifying GHRFPs as a field of inquiry.This study lays the ground for the comprehension of GHRFPs as a singular phenomenon and type of actor and for the critical review of their significance for human rights law and practice. To do so, the study documents state practices—providing original meta-data on, for example, human rights ministries and suggesting a typology of GHRFP embodiments. It compiles and analyses the relevant guidance, taking into account their interpretation by relevant human rights bodies. Based on this analysis, the study infers six core attributes associated with GHRFPs. These attributes define GHRFPs as a concept, which serves to delineate and structure a field of academic investigation.