International Standards
In 1991 the United Nations hosted a meeting in Paris involving representatives of national human rights institutions from around the world. The aim of the meeting was to develop a comprehensive set of principles to guide the establishment and operation of national human rights institutions.
Paris Principles
The Principles Relating to the Status of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights – commonly known as the ‘Paris Principles’ – set out the minimum standards required by national human rights institutions to effectively fulfil their role.
They require a national human rights institution to have:
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a clearly defined and broad-based mandate, based on universal human rights standards
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independence guaranteed by legislation or the constitution
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autonomy from government
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pluralism, including membership that broadly reflects the society
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adequate powers of investigation; and
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sufficient resources.
The Paris Principles have been endorsed by the UN Commission on Human Rights (Resolution 1992/54 of 3 March 1992) and the UN General Assembly (Resolution 48/134 of 20 December 1993, annex).
Accreditation
The Paris Principles form the basis for accreditation of national human rights institutions at the international level by the International Coordinating Committee.
The outcome of the accreditation process determines whether a national human rights institution can participate in the regular sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
APF membership
APF members are categorised according to their compliance with the Paris Principles.
To obtain full membership of the APF a national human rights institution must fully comply with the Paris Principles.
National human rights institutions that do not fully comply with the Paris Principles may be granted Candidate or Associate membership of the APF.
