Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions

About Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions:

• It was established in 1993 as the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (ICC).
• It has been known as the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) since 2016 and is a member-based network organization that gathers NHRIs from all around the world.
• Members: It has 120 members: 88 “A” status accredited NHRIs and 32 “B” status accredited NHRIs.

Accreditation by the GANHRI:

• In a unique peer-review-based accreditation process, GANHRI ensures individual NHRIs’ compliance with internationally recognised standards – the Paris Principles– to ensure their independence, pluralism and accountability.
  • The Paris Principles set out internationally agreed minimum standards that NHRIs must meet to be considered credible.
  • The six principles require a country‘s human rights agency to be independent from the government in its structure, composition, decision-making and method of operation. The principles were adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1993.
• GANHRI, through the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA), is responsible for reviewing and accrediting NHRIs in compliance with the Paris Principles.
• An NHRI is reviewed by the SCA when:
  • It applies for initial accreditation
  • It applies for re-accreditation every five years
  • The circumstances of the NHRI change in any way that may affect its compliance with the Paris Principles.
• NHRIs that are assessed as complying with the Paris Principles are accredited with ‘A status’, while those that partially comply are accredited with ‘B status