Opening Statement by Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. at the 28th International Coordinating Committee of National Insitutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (ICC)

12 March 2015

Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Colleagues and friends,

I am glad to welcome you to this annual General Meeting of the International Coordinating Committee, and to meet you for the first time. Please allow me to thank Lourence Mushwana for his leadership of the ICC over the past year, and to welcome Magdy Martinez-Soliman, the Director of the UNDP Bureau for Policy and Programme Support.

National Human Rights Institutions do vital work to strengthen good governance and the rule of law in their countries. They act as important bridges, linking governments, parliaments, the judiciary and civil society. And in many States that are currently embroiled in crisis – or which have recently emerged from conflict – efforts by NHRIs to bring justice redress and remedy to victims of human rights abuse can be vital to reconciliation.

As experts on the human rights situation in your countries, I am eager to hear about initiatives that you are undertaking to meet today’s intense challenges to human rights.

We face a new rise of extremist violence, and violent non-State actors who feel accountable to no-one. Many States are dismantling protections to the vulnerable and poor. As the world grows richer, we see widening inequalities. We face backlash on important advances in human rights from extremist groups who claim to stand for traditional values.

And, perhaps even more widespread, we see governments that pay formal lip-service to human rights norms but fail to ensure that these principles are effectively protected, day to day, where they are needed: on the ground.

Your commitment to human rights, and the work of the ICC, is very much appreciated and recognised by OHCHR. Your institutions advocate strongly for legal and institutional reforms; they monitor places of detention and security institutions; and they publish regular reports. Some NHRIs have their own complaint-handling mechanisms, which can provide remedy to victims of human rights violations.

Your institutions are uniquely placed to monitor and prevent human rights violations such as torture, arbitrary detention, human trafficking and all forms of discrimination. A number of NHRIs conduct national inquiries into these violations, and initiate measures to prevent them. I believe this is a core function of NHRIs, and I encourage all of you to accord this vital work the highest possible priority.

In times of crisis, comprehensive strategies to provide justice, redress and remedy for the victims can help to restore normality. In recent months, the Ebola crisis – which has killed 22,500 people and left many more bereft –has laid bare the multiple human rights impacts of a catastrophic epidemic. The NHRIs in Liberia and Sierra Leone needed to assist with challenges ranging from various forms of denial by communities and their leaders, to insufficient or inadequate responses by the authorities; inadequate protection of health workers; stigmatization and discrimination; and demands by some sectors of the public for force to be used to contain the outbreak.

I am certain that you will want to share your experiences with such crises, and that you will explore ways to strengthen the ability of NHRIs to confront multidimensional threats to human rights.

I also welcome your plans to discuss the governance of NHRIs. The Paris Principles are the basis for the credibility of NHRIs – in their country, their region, and within the international human rights system. And the accreditation process is one of the major achievements of the ICC. Outcome recommendations have had real impact, leading many States to make legal and institutional reforms, and increase funding, to strengthen the capacity and independence of NHRIs.

My Office facilitates interaction between NHRIs and the international system for human rights. This includes the provision, by A-status institutions, of detailed human rights information to the Human Rights Council, the Universal Periodic Review and the treaty bodies. These written and oral submissions are important contributions to their discussions and recommendations.

It is important to ensure that only NHRIs that have proved to be independent, credible and are in full compliance with the Paris Principles are granted the right to participate in the UN Human Rights Council. But the rapid growth of NHRIs in the last 20 years has involved a number of substantive and operational challenges. Some NHRIs that are formally accredited with “A” status fall short of promoting and protecting human rights, and sometimes appear to act as government affiliates.

This calls for improvement in the accreditation procedure for “A” status. OHCHR will continue to work closely with the ICC to achieve an accreditation process that is more rigorous, more transparent and fairer. The objective must always be to strengthen your ability to have an impact.

Mr. President,

As you know, OHCHR has for many years made it a top priority to support the establishment and strengthening of NHRIs. We have done so through direct technical assistance programmes, and in cooperation with other partners -- most prominently, UNDP, the ICC and regional human rights mechanisms. Many of you know that OHCHR is overburdened, and that given severe financial constraints we must cut our annual budget to the level of pledges received. However, I assure you that we are committed to continuing our work to support NHRIs.

Earlier this month I announced a change management process for the Office, which I hope will lead to an even stronger, more efficient and more coherent organisation. This reorganisation confirms the recent integration of our National Human Rights Institutions Unit with the Civil Society team. We envisage this as a very flexible unit, which acknowledges the different roles and functions of NHRIs and civil society, but in which staff are available to work on either of the two types of activity at specific times. In other words, during peak times of year, you are likely to find more hands on deck at OHCHR to help you with your work. The reorganisation of OHCHR will also create seven regional hubs, and we will explore whether support to national institutions and civil society can also be provided through such hubs.

The objective must always be to strengthen your ability to have an impact where it counts: in your countries. Your work is invaluable. And I am confident that your discussions here will be fruitful.

Thank you