23/27 National institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights - Report of the Secretary-General
Document Type: Final Report
Date: 2013 Apr
Session: 23rd Regular Session (2013 May)
Agenda Item: Item3: Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, Item6: Universal Periodic Review, Item10: Technical assistance and capacity-building, Item8: Follow-up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, Item2: Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General, Item7: Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories
GE.13-12630
Human Rights Council Twenty-third session
Agenda items 2 and 8 Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the
High Commissioner and the Secretary-General
Follow-up to and implementation of the Vienna Declaration
and Programme of Action
National institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights
Report of the Secretary-General* **
Summary
The present report is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 20/14, in which the Council requested the Secretary-General to report on the implementation of that resolution. The report, which covers the period from April 2012 to March 2013, contains information on the activities undertaken by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to establish and strengthen national human rights institutions, cooperation between those institutions and the international human rights system, and the support provided by OHCHR to the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and relevant regional networks. The report should be read in conjunction with the report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the International Coordinating Committee in accrediting national institutions in compliance with the Paris Principles (A/HRC/23/28).
Specifically, the report highlights the main achievements, challenges and priorities at the national level regarding the establishment and strengthening of national human rights institutions. It also refers to their activities on thematic issues, such as business and human rights, discrimination, and human rights defenders and the international human rights system.
* All references to Kosovo in the present report, whether to the territory, institutions or population, are
to be construed in the context of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999) and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.
** The annexes to the present report are circulated as received, in the language of submission only.
Contents Paragraphs Page
I. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1–3 3
II. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and national human rights institutions ..................................................................... 4–75 3
A. Advisory services ............................................................................................ 4–63 3
B. Support of the Office of the High Commissioner for regional and subregional initiatives by national human rights institutions ................... 64–69 10
C. Contribution of the Office of the High Commissioner to international initiatives supporting national human rights institutions ....... 70–75 11
III. Cooperation between United Nations human rights mechanisms and national human rights institutions ..................................................................... 76–100 12
A. Human Rights Council ................................................................................... 76–87 12
B. Treaty bodies .................................................................................................. 88–97 14
C. Commission on the Status of Women ............................................................. 98 15
D. Other meetings ............................................................................................... 99–100 15
IV. Cooperation with and support for national human rights institutions by United Nations agencies and programmes, and international and regional organizations ........................................................................................................... 101–113 16
A. United Nations Development Programme ...................................................... 101–109 16
B. United Nations Children’s Fund…………………………… ......................... 110–111 17
C. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ..................................... 112 17
D. International Organization of la Francophonie .............................................. 113 17
V. Recommendations ................................................................................................... 114–125 17
A. States ............................................................................................................... 114–120 17
B. National human rights institutions .................................................................. 121–125 18
Annexes
I. Submissions of national human rights institutions to the Human Rights Council ........................... 19
II. Second cycle of the universal periodic review (2012-2016) ............................................................ 23
III. Engagement of national human rights institutions in the work of the treaty bodies (April 2012 – March 2013) ............................................................................................................. 25
I. Introduction
1. The present report is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 20/14, in which the Council requested the Secretary-General to report to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-third session on the implementation of that resolution. The report outlines progress achieved since the previous relevant report of the Secretary-General (A/HRC/20/9). It should be read in conjunction with the report of the Secretary-General to the Council on the activities of the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in accrediting national institutions in compliance with the Principles relating to the Status of National Institutions (the Paris Principles).
2. In its resolution 20/14, the Human Rights Council recognized the important role of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in assisting the development of independent and effective national human rights institutions in accordance with the Paris Principles. It also welcomed the important role of the International Coordinating Committee, working in close cooperation with OHCHR, in assessing the conformity of national human rights institutions with the Paris Principles and in assisting governments and those institutions in capacity-building and strengthening. In resolution 20/14, the Council recognized the important role played by national human rights institutions in the Council, including in the universal periodic review and special procedures mechanisms, and in the treaty bodies, as well as the contributions of national institutions compliant with the Paris Principles to the work of the Commission on the Status of Women and the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing.
3. Since 2008, OHCHR has hosted a fellowship programme for the staff of A-status national human rights institutions. The programme is designed to provide fellows with information on and working experience with the United Nations human rights system, and to familiarize themselves with OHCHR work with national human rights institutions. OHCHR also benefits from substantive expertise provided by the fellows from the various regions. During the period under review, fellows from the national human rights institutions of India, Mauritania, Morocco, the Philippines, Qatar and South Africa participated in the programme.
II. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and national human rights institutions
A. Advisory services
4. OHCHR activities to establish and/or strengthen national human rights institutions are led by the National Institutions and Regional Mechanisms Section. Together with OHCHR field presences and in collaboration with United Nations agencies, in particular the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and with regional networks of national human rights institutions, the Section continued to assist Governments in establishing human rights institutions and/or engaging in their capacity-building. In that context, OHCHR works closely with intergovernmental organizations, academic institutions, civil society organizations and other national stakeholders.
5. OHCHR provides national human rights institutions and other national stakeholders technical and legal assistance, in particular on constitutional or legislative frameworks regarding the establishment, nature, functions, powers and responsibilities of institutions.
Comparative analysis, technical cooperation projects, needs assessments and evaluation missions are also conducted to establish and strengthen the compliance of institutions with the Paris Principles.
6. During the period under review, OHCHR provided advice and/or assistance on the strengthening of human rights institutions in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Benin, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, the Congo, Croatia, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Haiti, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Oman, Panama, Peru, Qatar, the Republic of Moldova, Rwanda, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Somaliland, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
7. OHCHR also provided assistance to activities aimed at the establishment of national human rights institutions in the Central African Republic, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Lithuania, Mozambique, Myanmar, the Niger, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Somalia, the Sudan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay and Yemen.
1. Africa
8. During the period under review, OHCHR regional offices for Central, East, Southern and West Africa, the OHCHR country offices in Togo and Uganda, the human rights advisers to the United Nations country teams in Guinea, the Great Lakes Region, Kenya, Madagascar, the Niger and Rwanda, and the human rights components of the United Nations missions in Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Sudan, continued to provide advice and assistance, in partnership with the National Institutions and Regional Mechanisms Section, for the establishment and/or strengthening of national human rights institutions in Africa.
9. In June 2012, the OHCHR Regional Office for Central Africa organized a workshop for the staff of the Gabon National Human Rights Commission on African and international human rights systems and human rights monitoring and reporting.
10. The Regional Office, in partnership with the Cameroon National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms, also organized a training session for 25 judicial and police officers on human rights principles during arrest and detention, as well as human rights training for magistrates and lawyers in 10 regions of Cameroon.
11. In collaboration with the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI), OHCHR provided support and legal advice for the drafting of the legislation to establish a national human rights institution. UNOCI also held training sessions for national stakeholders on the Paris Principles. As a result, legislation on the national human rights institution was enacted in December 2012.
12. The organic law establishing a national human rights institution in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was adopted by the Parliament on 6 December 2012. The adoption of the law was the result of years of advocacy by OHCHR, the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office and its partners. OHCHR also provided the authorities with a legal brief on the draft law, leading to relevant amendments that were integrated into the final version of the law.
13. OHCHR continued to provide technical and financial support to the Uganda Human Rights Commission, mainly with regard to human rights monitoring, reporting and
investigation. With the support of OHCHR and UNDP, a gaps analysis of the Commission was carried out to identify needs and areas for improvement.
14. The OHCHR Regional Office for Southern Africa continued to work closely with national human rights institutions in the Southern Africa region by providing funding and technical assistance for capacity-building projects, including induction training for newly appointed human rights commissioners in Comoros, Malawi and Mozambique, in collaboration with the relevant United Nations country teams and the International Organization of la Francophonie.
15. OHCHR provided advice to the Government of Zimbabwe on the compliance of the draft law establishing the Human Rights Commission with the Paris Principles. The law was passed in October 2012. OHCHR will continue to assist in ensuring the compliance of the enabling law with the Paris Principles.
16. OHCHR and the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan assisted the South Sudan Human Rights Commission in the preparation of a three-year strategic plan and work plan.
17. OHCHR, UNDP and the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions conducted a gaps assessment of the human rights institution of Zambia, as well as a training session for commissioners and staff members on the Paris Principles, the accreditation process and the role of national human rights institutions in the international human rights system. OHCHR also met with the Chairperson of the Constitutional Review Commission of Zambia to advise on the inclusion of provisions regarding the institution in the new Constitution.
18. OHCHR and the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) provided advice to a national panel on the appointment and re-appointment of commissioners regarding the relevant provision in the Paris Principles. OHCHR also provided the Human Rights Commission with funding and technical support to develop its strategic plan for the period 2012-2014. UNIPSIL deployed one staff member for a period of six months to the Commission to support the development of internal guidelines and procedures for the Monitoring and Research Directorate. As a result, the Directorate conducted a number of activities, including two public hearings into human rights violations. Thanks to this close cooperation, the Commission achieved its A-status accreditation with the International Coordinating Committee in May 2012. In September 2012, an induction session was conducted for recently appointed commissioners.
19. Also in Sierra Leone, OHCHR supported activities in 2012 relating to the follow-up to the universal periodic review by the Human Rights Commission. The Commission disseminated information on the review over the radio, held local consultations with stakeholders prior to the adoption of the report and participated in the session of the Human Rights Council.
20. OHCHR provided newly appointed commissioners of the Sudan Human Rights Commission with substantive materials to enable the operationalization of the Commission.
21. OHCHR also provided the the human rights institution of Somaliland with technical advice and assistance, including by conducting joint monitoring, reporting, advocacy and research on human rights issues. As a result, the institution successfully handled a number of cases relating to arbitrary detention and refugees.
22. Following the enactment of the Human Rights Defender Act in November 2011, OHCHR continued to advocate with the Government of Puntland that the appointment of a human rights defender be carried out in accordance with the Paris principles.
23. Subsequent to OHCHR advocacy and legal advice, the enabling law establishing the Benin Human Rights Commission was adopted by the National Assembly in December
2012.
24. In the Central Africa Republic, OHCHR and the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic provided the Government with technical assistance to ensure that the process to establish a national human rights institution was in line with the Paris Principles. The draft law, incorporating the advice given by OHCHR, was submitted in May 2012 by the Government to Parliament, where it is pending adoption.
25. During a joint mission, OHCHR and the International Organization of la Francophonie provided technical and legal advice in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which resulted, in December 2012, in the adoption by Parliament of a law on the establishment of a national human rights institution.
26. The OHCHR Human Rights Adviser in Madagascar provided legal advice on a draft law establishing a national human rights institution, which is currently being discussed by the Government.
27. At the request of the Government of Chad, OHCHR provided legal advice on the draft law amending the founding law of the National Human Rights Commission to ensure its compliance with the Paris Principles.
28. OHCHR provided legal advice on a draft law amending the founding law of the human rights institution of Equatorial Guinea to improve its effectiveness and visibility.
29. OHCHR provided advice on the draft law amending the founding legislation of the Rwanda National Human Rights Commission further to the recommendation made by the Subcommittee on Accreditation that the institution be downgraded to B status.
30. OHCHR provided legal advice on the draft law amending the founding law of the national human rights institution of Togo, including its mandate as a national preventive mechanism under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. OHCHR also contributed to the induction training of new commissioners and their staff.
31. OHCHR, together with the International Organization of la Francophonie and Association francophone des commissions nationales des droits de l’homme, contributed to and participated in a training session for the members of the national human rights institution in Burundi on the Paris Principles and the accreditation procedure. As a result, the institution submitted its application for accreditation and was accredited A status by the International Coordinating Committee in November 2012.
32. OHCHR supported the conduct of national consultations as part of the process to establish a national human rights institution in the Niger, and provided advice on the draft legislation to ensure its compliance with the Paris Principles. On 24 August 2012, the law integrating the recommendations made by OHCHR was enacted.
2. Americas and the Caribbean
33. During the period under review, the OHCHR regional offices for South and for Central America, its country offices in Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico, the human rights advisers to the United Nations country teams in Ecuador, Honduras and Paraguay, and the human rights component of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) continued to provide advice and assistance, in partnership with the National Institutions and Regional Mechanisms Section, for the establishment or strengthening of national human rights institutions in the Americas.
34. The OHCHR regional office for Central America supported the national human rights institutions of Costa Rica El Salvador and Nicaragua in finalizing and publishing two protocols and two training modules on racial discrimination. OHCHR also carried out a training session for 40 human rights officers on identifying and handling cases of discrimination. It also supported the national human rights institution of Panama on the establishment of an internal mechanism to monitor the situation of human rights of indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants.
35. OHCHR supported the institutional development of the national human rights institution in Uruguay, including the elaboration of its rules of procedure. A workshop on the Paris Principles was held in November 2012.
36. In Colombia, OHCHR supported the Office of the Ombudsman (Defensoria del Pueblo) in monitoring the situation of human rights in the country, particularly with regard to cases of gross human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law. The Office established joint committees with OHCHR and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in regions where human rights were most affected, to impel effective government response.
37. OHCHR provided support to the national human rights institution in Guatemala to develop its strategic plan for the period 2012-2017 and conducted an evaluation of its regional offices, making capacity-building recommendations, and began working with the institution on a methodology to report on social conflicts. Other joint activities included a mass media campaign on the rights of persons with disabilities, training on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, discussions with representatives of the penitentiary system to promote the rights of persons deprived of their liberty, activities on human rights defenders, and human rights education and technical assistance with regard to an amicus curiae.
38. In 2012, OHCHR, in close cooperation with UNDP and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, in the framework of the United Nations joint “Peace Window” programme, supported the consolidation of the Conflicts Unit in the National Office of the Ombudsman of Bolivia (Plurinational State of), including the development of a system to monitor conflicts in the country, technical advice on cases of violation of human rights and the formulation on a national plan of action on racism and discrimination.
39. The OHCHR Human Rights Adviser in Ecuador provided assistance for the establishment of a virtual platform on the webpage of the national human rights institution to host human rights training courses and the development of introductory and mandatory training on human rights for all staff members of the institution. A training module on the collective rights of indigenous, Afro-Ecuadorian and Montbios peoples was also developed.
40. Since July 2011, OHCHR and the International Organization of la Francophonie have supported the Citizens’ Protection Office of Haiti. Subsequent to advice provided through a consultant in cooperation with MINUSTAH, the law revising the status of the Office was adopted by Parliament in August 2012. The Office has applied for accreditation by the International Coordinating Committee and is scheduled to be reviewed in May 2013. MINUSTAH contributed to the strengthening of the Office’s infrastructure by providing expertise on management, institution-building and staff recruitment, as well as on planning and monitoring. As a result, the number of regional branches of the Citizens’ Protection Office has increased from five to nine. During the period under review, the Office and MINUSTAH undertook joint advocacy initiatives to address human rights violations committed by law enforcement personnel in detention facilities.
3. Asia and the Pacific
41. During the period under review, OHCHR regional offices for South-East Asia and the Pacific, the OHCHR office in Cambodia, the human rights advisers to the United Nations country teams in Maldives, Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka, and the human rights components of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste continued to provide advice and assistance, in partnership with the National Institutions and Regional Mechanisms Section for the establishment or strengthening of national human rights institutions.
42. In 2012, OHCHR deployed a human rights adviser to support the work of the United Nations country team in Maldives in strengthening the capacity of the Human Rights Commission. It provided technical support to the Commission in developing a methodology for monitoring demonstrations and in the elaboration of a plan for conducting investigations.
43. During the period under review, OHCHR, in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions, supported the efforts of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission to develop an enabling law through consultations with the Commission and the Government of Myanmar.
44. OHCHR, UNDP and the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions facilitated capacity assessments of the national human rights institutions of Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. The assessments were used to propose strategies to strengthen the institutional and human resource capacities of human rights institutions and to make their internal processes more efficient and effective.
45. In November 2012, the regional office for South-East Asia organized a subregional dialogue on gender equality and women’s rights between national human rights institutions in the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and in Timor- Leste, with the participation of national specialized institutions on women, government representatives, the ASEAN Independent Human Rights Commission and the ASEAN Commission on Women and Children.
4. Europe and Central Asia
46. During the period under review, the OHCHR regional offices for Europe and for Central Asia, the OHCHR office in Kosovo, human rights advisers in Albania, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation, Serbia, Tajikistan and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and the human rights adviser of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia in Turkmenistan continued to provide advice and assistance, in partnership with the National Institutions and Regional Mechanisms Section, for the establishment and strengthening of human rights institutions in Europe and Central Asia.
47. OHCHR provided legal advice to the former national human rights institution and the Government of the Netherlands. As a result, a law was enacted establishing a new national institution with a broader mandate.
48. On the request of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence of Ireland, OHCHR provided legal advice on issues of compliance with the Paris Principles stemming from the merger of the Irish Human Rights Commission and the Equality Body of Ireland.
49. In May 2012, OHCHR conducted a workshop for federal and subnational Ombudsmen in the Russian Federation on strengthening their interaction with United Nations human rights mechanisms. As a result, a joint plan of activities was adopted, aimed at increasing awareness and strengthening the capacity of subnational Ombudsman
institutions to promote follow-up to recommendations made by the United Nations human rights system and to facilitate their engagement with it.
50. In July 2012, OHCHR gave a presentation on how the Centre for Human Rights of the Republic of Moldova could be strengthened to ensure compliance with the Paris Principles and to better fulfil its role as a national preventive mechanism. A meeting on the mechanism was organized by UNDP and the Centre for Human Rights of Moldova, in Chisinau. Furthermore, the OHCHR regional office for Central Asia and UNDP organized training sessions for the staff of the Centre for Human Rights on human rights and gender analysis of draft legislation.
51. In May 2012, the staff members of the Office of the Ombudsman of Ukraine attended a study tour at OHCHR headquarters. Participants improved their knowledge on the work of OHCHR and established direct contacts with OHCHR staff. In July 2012, the OHCHR Human Rights Adviser in Ukraine and UNDP facilitated a capacity assessment of the Office of the Ombudsman aimed at assisting the new incumbent to define her Office’s priorities and to strengthen its human rights protection mandate. Under a joint OHCHR/UNDP initiative, a national preventive mechanism department was created within the Office of the Ombudsman and training was provided to its staff.
52. Also in Ukraine, in December 2012, the Ombudsman hosted public hearings on the second universal periodic review of Ukraine. The event, involving government representatives, civil society and OHCHR, was used as a platform to discuss existing human rights issues and to outline mechanisms to implement accepted review recommendations.
53. In June 2012, after the adoption in Kyrgyzstan of a law on national preventive mechanisms, OHCHR provided expertise to the staff of the Office of the Ombudsman in drafting rules of procedure for the establishment of the national preventive mechanism, which were endorsed by Parliament in October 2012. These rules were used to convene, in February 2013, the first Coordination Council of the National Centre for the Prevention of Torture.
54. The OHCHR regional office for Central Asia provided support to the Ombudsman of Tajikistan on human rights education and conducted a training session for trainers.
55. During the period under review, the regional office held meetings with the Ombudsman of Kazakhstan to advocate for the establishment of an national preventive mechanism and for the adoption of a Law on the Ombudsman by Parliament in accordance with the Paris Principles.
5. Middle East and North Africa
56. During the period under review, OHCHR regional offices for the Middle East and for North Africa, OHCHR offices in Mauritania, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Tunisia and Yemen, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), and the United Nations Training and Documentation Centre in Qatar continued to provide advice and assistance, in partnership with the National Institutions and Regional Mechanisms Section, in the establishment and strengthening of national human rights institutions in the Middle East and North Africa region.
57. OHCHR and the national human rights institution of Mauritania conducted a number of activities, including joint prison visits, a national consultation on transitional justice, a workshop on the harmonization of national legislation with international human rights instruments, a round table on the state of ratification of international human rights treaties, and a study mission to Morocco on the subject of transitional justice.
58. OHCHR Tunisia held a meeting with the Higher Committee for Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Tunisia to establish contact with the new President and to explore possibilities of technical assistance and cooperation. As a result of the legal advice given by OHCHR, provisions relating to national human rights institutions were included in the new Constitution.
59. OHCHR provided technical support to the Independent Commission for Human Rights in relation to monitoring and documenting human rights violations and abuse committed by Palestinian duty-bearers. The OHCHR sub-office in Gaza provided technical support in reviewing a number of Commission training modules, including a training manual for the Palestinian police, to be published jointly by OHCHR and the Commission in 2013.
60. On 14 and 15 January 2913, a conference on the theme “Strengthening the capacity of national institutions for the protection of human rights in the Arab region” was held in Doha. The event was jointly organized by the National Human Rights Committee of Qatar and OHCHR. The conference focused on supporting national human rights institutions when addressing current challenges in the region and strengthening their capacity to work in accordance with the Paris Principles.
61. In Lebanon, OHCHR took an active role in drafting a law on a national human rights institution, designated as a national preventive mechanism. The draft law was approved by the Administration and Justice Committee of Parliament in December 2012 and is pending adoption by the plenary.
62. OHCHR, UNAMI and UNDP provided training and support to the newly established national human rights institution of Iraq.
63. UNSMIL conducted induction training for the newly established human rights institution in Libya.
B. Support of the Office of the High Commissioner for regional and
subregional initiatives by national human rights institutions
1. Americas and the Caribbean
64. In January 2012, OHCHR participated in the annual General Assembly of the Network of Americas National Human Rights Institutions. OHCHR reiterated the importance of a strong regional network of Paris Principles-compliant institutions, and shared experience and good practices of activities conducted by other regional networks of human rights institutions, in particular the capacity assessment project developed and implemented by OHCHR, UNDP and the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions.
2. Africa
65. In May 2012, the OHCHR Central Africa regional office organized, in Bujumbura, the third meeting of national human rights institutions from the Central Africa subregion. Representatives of human rights institutions from nine countries participated in the meeting, which focused on capacity-building of institutions in the area of economic, social and cultural rights.
66. In July 2012, the OHCHR East Africa regional office organized a training workshop on monitoring economic, social and cultural rights for the national human rights institutions of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania. The activity provided the institutions with relevant tools to fulfil their monitoring mandate. As a result, shortly
after the event, the national institution of the United Republic of Tanzania submitted a report to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
3. Asia and the Pacific
67. During the period under review, OHCHR, the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions and the Pacific Islands Forum secretariat continued to work in partnership to support the establishment of national human rights institutions. Such efforts included advocacy with a range of actors and continued technical assistance. As a result of the universal periodic review, most States in the Pacific have accepted recommendations to establish a national human rights institution compliant with the Paris Principles. Samoa has prepared draft legislation to that end.
4. Europe and Central Asia
68. In 2012, OHCHR provided technical and financial assistance for the establishment of a permanent secretariat of the European Group of National Human Rights Institutions. In April, a one-year grant agreement was signed between OHCHR and the Chairperson of the European Group aimed at supporting the establishment and the initial activities of the secretariat.
69. In April 2012, the OHCHR regional office for Central Asia organized a regional workshop on the United Nations human rights system. Participants included State officials and representatives of Ombudsman institutions and civil society from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The meeting raised awareness on the issues of the timely submission of reports, human rights indicators and the implementation of recommendations received from the United Nations human rights mechanisms.
C. Contribution of the Office of the High Commissioner to international
initiatives supporting national human rights institutions
1. International Conference of National Human Rights Institutions
70. The eleventh International Conference of National Human Rights Institutions was held in Amman from 5 to 7 November 2012. The Conference was hosted by the Jordan National Centre for Human Rights and co-organized by OHCHR and the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights. The overall theme of the Conference was “The human rights of women and girls, gender equality: the role of national human rights institutions”.
71. OHCHR provided financial support for the participation of national human rights institutions from the least developed States and international experts. The Conference was attended by 260 participants, including representatives of national human rights institutions, local and international non-governmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, United Nations agencies and experts. The Conference adopted the Amman Declaration and Plan of Action.1
1 Accessible in the four official languages of the International Coordinating Committee (Arabic,
English, French and Spanish) on its website at the address http://nhri.ohchr.org/EN/ICC/InternationalConference/11IC/Pages/Outcomes.aspx.
2. Bureau meetings
72. OHCHR provided secretarial and technical support for two statutory Bureau meetings of the International Coordinating Committee, held in Geneva on 19 and 20 March 2012, and in Amman on 4 November 2012. The Bureau members discussed their strategic priorities, including the engagement of national human rights institutions in the international human rights system. They endorsed the report of the Subcommittee on Accreditation of March 2012, and amended the statute of the International Coordinating Committee to include exceptional circumstances leading to immediate special review of accredited institutions.
3. Subcommittee on Accreditation
73. OHCHR provided secretarial support for the sessions of the Subcommittee on Accreditation, held in Geneva in March and November 2012.
4. National human rights institutions in Portuguese-speaking countries
74. In October 2012, in Cape Verde, OHCHR, in collaboration with the Ombudsman, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Parliament of Portugal, and the Ministry of Justice of Cape Verde, organized a workshop for Portuguese-speaking countries on national human rights institutions in compliance with the Paris Principles. Representatives from Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe and Timor-Leste participated in the meeting, and adopted the Praia declaration which called on States to establish national human rights institutions, and encouraged such institutions to seek accreditation or re-accreditation with the International Coordinating Committee.
5. National human rights institutions and discrimination
75. OHCHR organized a seminar for national human rights institutions to validate a draft OHCHR publication on national mechanisms for protection against and the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. The publication is aimed at providing States, national human rights institutions, equality bodies, other similar mechanisms and relevant stakeholders with a tool to implement the commitments made at the World Conferences held in Durban in 2001 and Geneva in 2009, and in particular to establish institutions or to strengthen the capacity of existing national mechanisms to handle discrimination issues.
III. Cooperation between United Nations human rights mechanisms and national human rights institutions
A. Human Rights Council
76. The cooperation of national human rights institutions with international and regional human rights mechanisms is a key requirement of the Paris Principles. OHCHR, in coordination with the International Coordinating Committee and its Geneva representative, continued to support the engagement of such institutions with the Human Rights Council mechanisms. In June 2011, the General Assembly, in its resolution 65/281, adopted the outcome of the review of the work and functioning of the Human Right Council, which included provisions on the participation in and interaction with the universal periodic review of A-status national human rights institutions.
77. In 2012, national human rights institutions were active before and during the sessions of the Human Rights Council: delivering statements, submitting written
documentation, participating in general debates and under specific agenda items, organizing parallel events and interacting with the special procedures. A total of 30 institutions participated in the sessions of the Council sessions (see annex I), a significant increase over the 21 institutions that participated in 2011.
78. At the nineteenth session of the Human Rights Council, a new cost-effective practice was introduced: three video statements were delivered by national human rights institutions following the presentation of reports by special procedures mandate holders. Two video statements were made at the twentieth session and eight at the twenty-first.
1. Universal periodic review
79. The second cycle of the universal periodic review started with the thirteenth session of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, held in May and June 2102. A separate section in the stakeholders’ report was included to reflect contributions by A-status national human rights institutions.
80. In 2012, there was a 40 per cent increase over the same period in the first cycle in the number of written contributions from A-status national human rights institutions for the stakeholders’ report submitted for the universal periodic review. A total of 17 A-status and two B-status institutions submitted such contributions.
81. In 2012, eight A-status national human rights institutions delivered a statement immediately after the State under review with regard to the adoption of the outcome at a plenary meeting of the Human Rights Council.
2. Special procedures
82. During the general debates at the sessions of the Human Rights Council, a number of national human rights institutions interacted with special procedures mechanisms and submitted written contributions on reports written by them.
83. OHCHR regularly provides special procedures mandate holders with information on the work of national human rights institutions in the preparation of their country missions. Increasingly, mandate holders seek the assistance of such institutions in ensuring that their recommendations are implemented at the national level.
84. In her report submitted to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-second session, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders focused on the role of national human rights institutions as human rights defenders (A/HRC/22/47).
85. During the period under review, a representative of the South African Human Rights Commission participated as a panellist in a discussion on engagement with special procedures mechanisms organized on the occasion of Human Rights Day at the University of Pretoria, in South Africa.
86. OHCHR supported special procedures mandate holders in issuing communications relating to national human rights institutions under threat, focusing on the former chairpersons Human Rights Commissions of Malawi and Togo.
87. OHCHR supported the national human rights institution of Mauritania in conducting a workshop on the development of a road map to implement the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences.
B. Treaty bodies
88. OHCHR continued to support the participation of national human rights institutions in the sessions of the treaty bodies. The secretariats of the treaty bodies, the National Institutions and Regional Mechanisms Section and the Geneva representative of the International Coordinating Committee liaised with national human rights institutions prior to each session to encourage them to provide written or oral information and to attend the sessions. OHCHR also prepared briefings on institutions for the attention of treaty bodies, and disseminated relevant recommendations and concluding observations to the institutions concerned.
89. In 2012, human rights treaty bodies examined national human rights institutions in 80 of 127 States. Of the 80, 49 interacted with treaty bodies by submitting reports, briefing the treaty bodies prior to the review or attending the sessions.2 There was a 10 per cent increase in the participation of national human rights institutions in three years: in 2009, of 69 countries with such institutions 36 engaged with treaty bodies.
90. Treaty bodies have been providing national human rights institutions with advice and tools to facilitate their effective engagement, including by issuing general comments, information notes and statements, as well as by inviting the institutions to their meetings. Three treaty bodies (the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Committee on the Rights of the Child) have adopted general comments on national human rights institutions, one (the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination) has amended its rules of procedure to allow A-status institutions to address the Committee in plenary session, and six (the Human Rights Committee, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Committee against Torture, the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) have included in their working methods a section on the participation of national human rights institutions in their activities.
91. At its 106th session, held in October and November 2012, the Human Rights Committee adopted a paper on the relationship of the Committee with national human rights institutions.3 In the paper, the Committee recognized the important role that the institutions, particularly those in full compliance with the Paris Principles, play in bridging the gap between international and national human rights systems, and provided them with guidelines on the reporting procedure, the individual communication procedure under the Optional Protocol and drafting and use of the Committee’s general comments.
92. The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, at its eighth session, held in October and November 2012, adopted a briefing note on the participation of national human rights institutions in the Committee’s work.
93. National human rights institutions engage with treaty bodies in following up on the implementation of their concluding observations. In 2012, the institutions of Armenia, Ireland, Norway and Poland provided the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination with information on the implementation of specific recommendations under the Committee’s follow-up procedure.
2 Does not include the upcoming sessions of certain treaty bodies, such as the 82nd session of the
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (11 February – 1 March 2013), the 107th session of the Human Rights Committee (11 – 28 February 2013) and the 54th session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (11 February – 1 March 2013).
3 CCPR/C/106/3.
94. In October 2012, OHCHR organized a seminar in Lusaka to promote the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Ten national human rights institutions from Southern Africa participated and adopted a declaration for the implementation of the Convention.
95. In April, the Mongolian National Human Rights Commission hosted a national seminar in Ulaanbaatar to encourage ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and to facilitate discussions among institutions designated as a national preventive mechanism under the Protocol. A member of the Subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture and an expert on national preventive mechanisms from the OHCHR Central Asia regional office were invited as resource persons. The seminar was organized in partnership with the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions, the Association for the Prevention of Torture and Amnesty International Mongolia.
96. The European Group of National Human Rights Institutions submitted a written contribution to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on access to justice.
97. In October 2012, a member of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances visited Mexico and held consultations with the Mexican national human rights institution.
C. Commission on the Status of Women
98. In 2012, the International Coordinating Committee, with the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions and the support of OHCHR, continued its advocacy for the participation of A-status national human rights institutions at the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women. At present, national human rights institutions may participate in Commission sessions only if they are invited to attend as part of their Government’s delegation. Support of the participation of national human rights institutions in the Commission was endorsed by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 20/14, in which the Council encouraged institutions to continue to interact with and advocate for independent participation in all relevant United Nations mechanisms, including the Commission.
D. Other meetings
99. In December 2012, 45 national human rights institutions participated in the Forum on Business and Human Rights. The Forum was established by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 17/4 to map the road for the implementation of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Discussions focused on trends, best practices and challenges in the implementation of the Guiding Principles and the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework.
100. In December 2012, OHCHR organized an international workshop on enhancing cooperation between United Nations and regional human rights mechanisms from Africa, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia. Discussions included means to enhance information-sharing, joint activities and follow-up to recommendations made by United Nations and regional human rights mechanisms. National human rights institutions actively participated in the discussion and made a number of recommendations aimed at improving their collaboration with regional mechanisms.
IV. Cooperation with and support for national human rights institutions by United Nations agencies and programmes, and international and regional organizations
A. United Nations Development Programme
101. Engagement with national human rights institutions is a priority area for OHCHR and UNDP. They currently support the establishment and strengthening of such institutions in a number of countries through joint technical cooperation initiatives, advocacy initiatives, capacity needs assessments, enhancing the capacity of Governments to meet international treaty obligations, and to prepare and follow up on the universal periodic review.
102. A second annual meeting to review the strategic partnership between UNDP, OHCHR and the International Coordinating Committee was held in July 2012 in New York. The purpose of the meeting was to take stock of the progress of the partnership and to identify areas for future cooperation to support national human rights institutions and their regional and global networks. Discussions focused on joint activities for the period 2012-2013, capacity and gaps assessment projects, and support for national human rights organizations on follow-up to universal periodic review recommendations.
103. The independent review of the OHCHR/UNDP/Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions capacity assessment project included a stakeholders meeting in Bangkok, in September 2012. A report on the project was prepared by a consultant.
104. Technical support for the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka continued through a joint United Nations programme on human rights. This included support for the protection and monitoring mechanisms of the Commission. In 2012, OHCHR and UNHCR also contributed funds to the programme.
105. UNDP Mozambique (see also paragraph 14 above) and OHCHR supported the process of selection of civil society members of the Mozambique Human Rights Commission by drafting rules of procedures for selection and by organizing a meeting of human rights civil society organizations. UNDP also supported four working sessions of the Commission and provided technical assistance in drafting by-laws and a strategic plan. A needs assessment of the Commission was conducted to enhance its fundraising capacity.
106. UNDP Kenya and OHCHR supported the re-establishment of three constitutionally entrenched institutions in Kenya, including the Human Rights Commission, and were involved in the development of their strategic plans and administrative rules and procedures. A four-year programme for institutional development and programmatic assistance for core strategic areas was developed to support their interrelated mandates.
107. UNDP Bangladesh provided capacity support to the national human rights institution by means of a project focused on institutional development; human rights monitoring and investigation; human rights awareness-raising; and research, reporting and policy development. As a result, the institution organized a consultation among stakeholders for the preparation of the report in view of the universal periodic review submitted to the Human Rights Council in October 2012. The institution also held countrywide public awareness campaigns and strengthened its capacity to provide policy advice to the Government.
108. In 2012, UNDP, in partnership with the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions, supported the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission to
finalize its plan action based on an internal capacity assessment of the Commission conducted in 2011.
109. Under the capacity-building project of UNDP (see also paragraph 15 above) and the European Union to support the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, in November 2012, a training session was held on international and African human rights mechanisms for the commissioners to enable them to cooperate with the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Expert advice was provided to support the Commission in the preparation and submission of its budget and for the procurement of equipment.
B. United Nations Children’s Fund
110. UNICEF supported the development of a website for the national human rights institution of Mexico.
111. UNICEF Bolivia established a strategic partnership with the Office of the Ombudsman (Defensoria del Pueblo) of Bolivia (Plurinational State of) to implement activities relating to children’s and adolescents’ rights to participation.
C. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
112. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs provided the Office of the Ombudsman of Colombia with support to develop activities for the benefit of vulnerable communities and communities affected by gross violations of humanitarian law.
D. International Organization of la Francophonie
113. Within the framework of their standing partnership, OHCHR and the International Organization of la Francophonie developed and implemented joint capacity-building and technical cooperation programmes to establish and strengthen national human rights institutions in French-speaking countries, including Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
V. Recommendations
A. States
114. States are encouraged to implement the recommendations made by their national human rights institutions.
115. States are encouraged to establish a national human rights institution where none exists, and to strengthen the structures and independence of existing ones in
order to enable the effective fulfilment of their mandate, taking into account the
recommendations made by the Subcommittee on Accreditation and the advice
provided by OHCHR.
116. States are encouraged to ensure that national human rights institutions are provided with a broad mandate to protect and promote all human rights, including
economic, social and cultural rights, adequate powers of investigation into allegations
of human rights violations, and with an authorization to visit detention centres.
117. Members and staff of national human rights institutions should enjoy immunity while discharging their functions in good faith.
118. States are encouraged to provide their national human rights institutions with adequate human and financial resources, as well as the necessary autonomy to
propose and manage their own budgets and recruit their own staff members.
119. Open, participatory and pluralistic processes are important when establishing or strengthening national human rights institutions in compliance with the Paris Principles, as well as during the selection and appointment of their members and staff.
120. Budget cuts have affected the capacity of OHCHR to contribute to the establishment of national human rights institutions and to ensuring their compliance with the Paris Principles, in particular, its secretarial support for the International
Coordinating Committee and its Subcommittee on Accreditation. Member States are
therefore urged to ensure by their financial contributions to the Office the
continuation of efficient, high-quality assistance for the establishment and
strengthening of national human rights institutions and the servicing of the International Coordinating Committee.
B. National human rights institutions
121. The Paris Principles call on national human rights institutions to engage with international human rights system and regional mechanisms. Such institutions are
encouraged to continue to engage with these bodies and to follow up on the
recommendations made by them.
122. National human rights institutions are encouraged to continue to advocate for their independent participation in the meetings of United Nations human rights
bodies, namely, the Commission on the Status of Women, the Conference of States
Parties to Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Open-ended
Working Group on Ageing.
123. National human rights institutions are encouraged to continue to develop, and to advocate for the development of, protective measures and mechanisms for human
rights defenders, and to disseminate information thereon.
124. National human rights institutions are encouraged to implement, in cooperation with key partners, the Amman Declaration and Programme of Action on
the promotion and protection of human rights of women and girls, adopted at the
International Conference of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of
Human Rights in Jordan in November 2012.
125. National human rights institutions working in conflict situations are encouraged to be vigilant and proactive in protecting the rights of persons affected by
conflict, in accordance with the Paris Principles.
Annex I
[English only]
Submissions of national human rights institutions to the Human Rights Council
March 2012 – March 2013
Country/ Institution Segment Date
South Africa Human Rights Commission
Agenda item 3: report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food on his mission to South Africa
March 2012
Equality and Human Rights Commission (Great Britain)
Agenda item 3: report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
March 2012
Australian Human Rights Commission
Agenda item 6: universal periodic review
March 2012
National Human Rights Commission of Cameroon
Agenda item 3: promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development
Agenda item 6: universal periodic review
Agenda item 10: Technical assistance and capacity-building
March 2012
National Human Rights Institution of Timor-Leste
Agenda item 3: promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development
Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions
Agenda item 8: follow-up to and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
Agenda item 3: promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development
June 2012
Country/ Institution Segment Date
Irish Human Rights Commission Agenda item 3: promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development
June 2012
Network of African National Human Rights Institutions
Agenda item 3: promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development
June 2012
New Zealand Human Rights Commission
Agenda item 8: follow-up to and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
June 2012
National Centre for Human Rights of Jordan
Agenda item 3: promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development
June 2012
National Human Rights Institution of Timor-Leste
Agenda item 3: report of the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights on her mission
June 2012
Conseil national des droits de l’homme du Royaume du Maroc
Agenda item 6: universal periodic review
June 2012
Equality and Human Rights Commission of Great Britain
Agenda item 3: promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development
June 2012
Canadian Human Rights Commission
Agenda item 6: universal periodic review
Agenda item 6: universal periodic review: annual discussion on gender integration
September 2012
Equality and Human Rights Commission of Great Britain
Agenda item 2: annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General
September 2012
Irish Human Rights Commission Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders on Ireland
March 2013
Country/ Institution Segment Date
Malawi Human Rights Commission
High-level segment: panel on the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
High-level segment: panel on human rights mainstreaming
Agenda item 3: report of the Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of human rights
March 2013
National Commission for Human Rights of Rwanda
Agenda item 3: report of the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing
March 2013
Australian Human Rights Council Agenda item 6: universal periodic review
March 2013
Equality and Human Rights Commission (Great Britain)
Agenda item 3: report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
March 2013
Palestinian national institution for human rights
Agenda item 7: report of the independent international fact- finding mission to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem
March 2013
South Africa Human Rights Commission
Agenda item 3: Special Rapporteur on the right to food
March 2012
National Human Rights Institution of Timor-Leste
Agenda item 3: promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development
March 2012
Mexico national human rights institution
Agenda item 3: promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development
March 2012
National Human Rights Institution of Timor-Leste
Agenda item 3: report of the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights on her mission
June 2012
Country/ Institution Segment Date
Ombudsman of Serbia Agenda item 2: annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General
June 2012
Meso-American WHRD Initiative / JASS
Situation of women human rights defenders, twentieth session
September 2012
Paraguay
Comité de América Latina y el Caribe para la Defensa de los Derechos de la Mujer
Panel on women’s rights and the report of the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty, twentieth session
September 2012
Protector of Citizens of the Republic of Serbia
On the newly adopted Belgrade Principles on the relationship of national human rights institutions and Parliament, twentieth session
September 2012
SUHAKAM (Malaysia) Panel on freedom of expression and the Internet, twenty-first session
Panel on access to justice of indigenous peoples, twenty-first session
September 2012
South African Human Rights Commission
Agenda item 6: consideration of universal periodic review reports: South Africa, twenty-first session
September 2012
Committee on the Administration of Justice (independent human rights organization, Northern Ireland)
Agenda item 6: consideration of universal periodic review reports: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, twenty-first session
September 2012
Indonesia Infid: religion-based violence and human rights abuses in Papua
Agenda item 6: consideration of universal periodic review reports: Indonesia, twenty-first session
September 2012
Annex II
[English only]
Second cycle of the universal periodic review (2012-2016)
State (in order of
review) Second cycle
Written contribution for
summary (as used)a
Oral statement to
Human Rights Council (A-status national
human rights
institutions only )
Written documents circulated in advance
of Human Rights
Council session
Bahrain 13th (May/June 2012) [ICC status as at December 2011, A/HRC/20/10]
- - -
Ecuador yes (A status) - -
Tunisia yes (B status 2009) - -
Morocco yes (A status) 21st HRC yes 21st HRC- yes
Indonesia yes (A status) 21st HRC yes -
Finland yes (no ICC status) - -
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
yes (3 A status) yes (on behalf of 3 A-status )
-
India yes (A status) 21st HRC yes -
Brazil - - -
Philippines yes (A status) 21st HRC yes -
Algeria (B-status 2010) - -
Poland (A-status) - -
Netherlands (B status since 1999; 2010)
- -
South Africa yes (A status) 21st HRC- yes -
Czech Republic 14th (October / November 2012) - [ICC status as at May 2012]
-
Argentina yes (A status)
Gabon -
Ghana yes (jointly with NGOs)
Peru yes (A status)
Guatemala yes (A status)
a “Yes” is indicated only where contributions were made.
State (in order of
review) Second cycle
Written contribution for
summary (as used)a
Oral statement to
Human Rights Council (A-status national
human rights
institutions only )
Written documents circulated in advance
of Human Rights
Council session
Benin (C status since 2002)
Republic of Korea Yes (A-status)
Switzerland yes (C status since 2010: FCR) - (C status since 2009: CFQF)
Pakistan -
Zambia (A-status)
Japan -
Ukraine yes (A-status since 2009)
Sri Lanka yes (B-status since 2007)
France 15th (Jan/Feb 2013) - [ICC status as of May2012]
yes (A-status)
Tonga -
Romania (C-status since 2007/2011)
Mali (B-status since 2012)
Botswana -
Bahamas -
Burundi yes (A-status)
Luxembourg yes (A-status)
Barbados (C-status since 2001)
Montenegro yes (no ICC status)
United Arab Emirates
-
Israel - Not yet reviewed Not yet reviewed
Liechtenstein -
Serbia (A-status since 2010)
Annex III
[English only]
Engagement of national human rights institutions in the work of the treaty bodies (April 2012 – March 2013)
Committee
Number of
States parties
reviewed
Number of States
parties with a
national human
rights institution
Submission of
information Briefing Attendance
Committee on Torture 17 11 7 6 6
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 21 14 5 3 4
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 12 10 6 6 (3) 7
Human Rights Committee 10 7 4 4 4
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women 27 11 3 2 (2) 3
Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families 4 3 0 1 (1) 1
Committee on the Rights of the Child 32 21 7 5 5
Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 4 3 1 0 0
Total 127 80 35 27 30