NHRIs join forces to speak on women’s rights

A-accredited national human rights institutions (NHRIs) from around the globe will join forces to advocate for a right to participate in the proceedings of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), following a proposal adopted at last week’s International Conference on National Institutions held in Kenya.

The initiative, endorsed unanimously by the Asia Pacific Forum in July this year, was presented to the meeting by the Hon. Catherine Branson QC, President of the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Justice Branson told the meeting that the recent decision to allow A-accredited NHRIs to participate directly in all meetings of the UN Human Rights Council had created “a momentum that should be capitalised upon to advance the role of national human rights institutions and women’s human rights”.

The CSW, which is part of the UN Economic and Social Council and comprised of representatives from Member States, is the principal global policy-making body on gender equality and the advancement of women. Its role is to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and advancement of women worldwide.

“Currently NHRIs do not have standing in their own right in the CSW, with the result that NHRIs must attend the CSW as part of their country’s government delegation, if indeed it is invited,” said Justice Branson.

“This arrangement does not reflect the unique status of NHRIs as independent bodies, nor does it reflect the increasing participation rights of NHRIs within a growing number of United Nations fora.”

Justice Branson identified a number of benefits that the participation of NHRIs in the CSW could deliver, including to:

• assist in the recognition of women’s rights as human rights
• assist information sharing and networking between NHRIs, governments and NGOs
• provide NHRIs with a distinct status independent from government and non government delegations, and 
• ensure that NHRIs can undertake better follow-up of recommendations at the domestic and regional level

In endorsing this common position at the conference, A-accredited NHRIs agreed to seek the support of their governments to formalise a role for NHRIs in the proceedings of the CSW.

In addition, the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions, the Asia Pacific Forum and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights will work cooperatively to progress the issue.