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Remarks by
Ms. Flavia Pansieri
Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights
27th annual General Meeting of the International Coordinating Committee
of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (ICC 27)
Geneva, 13 March 2014
Excellencies, distinguished representatives, ladies and gentlemen,
I am pleased to welcome you, representatives of almost 100 national human rights institutions from all over the world, as well as observers from Permanent Missions, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, academia and independent experts, gathered at this annual General Meeting of the International Coordinating Committee.
At the outset, I would like to pay tribute to the ICC Chairperson, Adv. Lourence Mushwana, for the leadership he demonstrated over the past year, and for all the efforts he and his team have made in steering the ICC towards consolidation and increased effectiveness and visibility on the international arena. I would also like to welcome the presence among us of His Excellency Mr. Baudelaire Ndong Ella, President of the Human Rights Council, and Mr. Patrick Keuleers, Director a.i., of the Democratic Governance Group in the UNDP Bureau for Development Policy.
THE ROLE OF NHRIs
As national entities anchored in a constitutional or legislative framework and with broad responsibility for the promotion and protection of human rights, NHRIs act as important bridges within society: they can link governments, parliaments, the judiciary, other institutions and civil society organizations.
It is heartening to see that, at the country level, NHRIs play an increasingly important role in promoting and protecting human rights and reinforcing good governance and rule of law. Many of these NHRIs advocate for legal and institutional reforms in line with States’ international human rights obligations. Many monitor places of detention and security institutions, publish regular reports on the human rights situation in their countries. Some NHRIs have their own complaint handling mechanisms which enable them to provide remedies to victims of human rights violations.
At the international level, many A status NHRIs use strengthened participatory rights at the Human Rights Council to make oral statements under substantive agenda items, participate in plenary debates and interactive dialogues, including through video statements. NHRIs are important stakeholders in the UPR process, both in terms of reporting and supporting the follow up to recommendations. It is interesting to note that, among the most frequent recommendations arising out of the UPR, is the establishment or strengthening of NHRIs according to the Paris Principles. In the first cycle of the UPR there were a total of 783 recommendations regarding NHRIs. I note that later today, you will hold a session on the role played by NHRIs in the second cycle of the UPR, through the increased participatory rights given to your institutions by the Human Rights Council. I wish you a fruitful debate on this important theme.
NHRIs report to treaty bodies and, as empowered State bodies, may involve in the follow-up to treaty body recommendations. Treaties such as the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), provide a possibility for the NHRIs to have a monitoring and implementation role by making explicit reference to the Paris Principles. NHRIs may also play a key role regarding special procedures, contributing to the preparation, conduct and follow up to country visits and reports. NHRIs have contributed to the development of international human rights law and were actively involved in the drafting of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
NHRIs also interact with regional human rights mechanisms. For instance, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Organization of American States adopted resolutions which granted NHRIs a special observer status.
NHRIs meet regularly at the regional and global level, cooperate, exchange information and experiences through their global association, the International Coordinating Committee (ICC), as well as through regional and sub-regional networks. The ICC has established an accreditation procedure to regularly review NHRIs’ compliance with the Paris Principles. NHRIs which are found to be fully compliant benefit from a higher visibility and a strengthened role in the Human Rights Council, including speaking rights in plenary meetings, circulation of papers as official UN documents, a separate section in the UPR’s stakeholders’ report on their country.
One of the achievements of the ICC, the accreditation process, needs to be further strengthened. OHCHR, as the Secretariat of the ICC and the SCA, stands ready for a continuous technical and legal assistance to NHRIs to help them prepare for a rigorous, transparent and fair accreditation process and follow up.
OHCHR ROLE IN SUPPORT OF NHRIs.
OHCHR is playing a catalytic role for the establishment and strengthening of NHRIs at the country level. This has been one of the key achievements of OHCHR since the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. In 2012-2013 OHCHR provided advice and assistance to strengthen NHRIs in 45 countries. OHCHR also provided assistance to activities aimed at the establishment of NHRIs in 8 countries. In addition, OHCHR and some NHRIs jointly implement activities. For example, in March 2013, the National Human Rights Commission of Togo conducted, with OHCHR financial and technical support, an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to identify strategic objectives and to elaborate a draft plan of action to be implemented in 2013.
Another illustration of technical assistance provided by OHCHR is the training workshop, held on 31 March and 1 April 2013 by the United National Human Rights Training and Documentation Centre in Qatar, in cooperation with the Qatari NHRI and the Arab Network for NHRIs, focussing on the access by national institutions to international human rights mechanisms. This workshop was attended by thirteen NHRIs from North Africa and the Middle East.
Our efforts to support NHRIs aimed at four major objectives:
(1) country engagement, through which OHCHR supports efforts by governments to establish or strengthen NHRIs;
(2) monitoring and advice, through which OHCHR assesses compliance with the Paris Principles and strengthens the capacity of NHRIs to work effectively and independently;
(3) strengthening partnerships, especially with other UN entities on the ground, the ICC, regional organizations as well as regional coordinating bodies of NHRIs; and
(4) facilitating interaction between NHRIs and the international human rights system.
OHCHR assisted Governments in drafting legislation and provided legal advice on draft laws on the establishment of NHRIs. Once the NHRIs were officially established, OHCHR provided technical assistance and advisory services for NHRIs’ members and staff. OHCHR and UNDP jointly work at the country level to strengthen the capacity of NHRIs, based on a trilateral OHCHR-UNDP-ICC strategic partnership framework put in place in 2011.
In its capacity as secretariat of the International Coordinating Committee, OHCHR continues to facilitate and provide support to the ICC and its four regional networks, and also to the ICC Sub Committee on Accreditation. In 2013, for instance, OHCHR assisted the ICC Sub-Committee on Accreditation to review of 24 NHRIs for their compliance with the Paris Principles. OHCHR also provided financial assistance to the ICC in the form of grants for various activities.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Mandates differ across national institutions depending on the country's legal system and many other factors. But for all, the fundamental objective of preventing human rights violations such as torture, arbitrary detention, gender discrimination, human trafficking and protecting human rights defenders is central. Important topics have been chosen for deliberations in the course of your meeting - the importance of the UPR second cycle and the role of NHRIs, the Belgrade Principles on the relationship between the Parliaments and NHRIs, Women’s Rights and National Human Rights Action Plans and last but not the least the ICC accreditation process. This promises to be an interesting meeting and I wish you fruitful discussions.
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