GANHRI holds first virtual session of its subcommittee on accreditation

The subcommittee on accreditation (SCA) of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) convened virtually for two weeks in December 2020 to consider applications for accreditation from National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) worldwide.

The virtual session was the first time the SCA met in 2020, after its March session was postponed indefinitely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the session, 13 NHRIs from all four regions were assessed by the SCA to determine their compliance with the international standards set out in the Paris Principles.

Two institutions from the Asia Pacific were reviewed at the session - the Office of the Ombudsman of Uzbekistan, which was reviewed by the SCA for the first time, and the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRCT), which was applying for re-accreditation.

In its recently released report from the December session, the SCA recommended that the Office of the Ombudsman be accredited with B status, in recognition of the efforts it had made to promote and protect human rights, despite the challenging context in which it operates. With its GANHRI accreditation, the Ombudsman now satisfies one of the key prerequisites for membership of the APF.

The SCA encouraged the Ombudsman to continue these efforts and to actively engage with international human rights bodies, the APF and other stakeholders in order to continue strengthening its institutional framework and working methods.

The SCA decided to defer the re-accreditation application of the NHRCT for 18 months, acknowledging the efforts the Commission had taken to address its previous recommendations and allowing time for them to continue their work towards achieving accreditation.

The APF will continue to work with both the Ombudsman and the NHRCT as they implement the recommendations to ensure compliance with the Paris Principles.

Date: 28 February 2021