NHRC objects to drop in status level
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The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has written a letter objecting to the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA)’s proposal for the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (ICC)
NHRC chairman Vas Tingsmith said yesterday that the letter was sent after the agency discussed certain issues with the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC), including the SCA’s concerns, which included protection for NHRC in performing its duties and issues relating to selection of committee members.
He said the NHRC also was pushing for quicker consideration of the draft legislation on the rights commission to meet the ICC's requirements and that there was also an idea to amend the law, authorising the NHRC to file lawsuits on behalf of people, like in other countries.
Loss of the “A” status could mean the loss of many rights and indirect economic and social impacts to the country, he explained.
The SCA has the mandate to review and analyse accreditation applications and to make recommendations to the ICC Bureau on the compliance of applicants with the Paris Principles. An “A” status signifies that an institute is one of the best mechanisms at country level to ensure the application of international human rights norms.
