International Co-ordination Committee meeting of National Institutions in Geneva
The 19th Annual meeting of the International Co-ordination Committee of National Institutions (ICC) was held at Geneva, Switzerland from March 21 to 23, 2007. Dr. Justice Shivaraj V. Patil, Acting Chairperson, NHRC headed the delegation. The other members of the delegation were Shri R. S. Kalha, Member, Shri R.K. Bhargava, Secretary General and Smt Aruna Sharma, Joint Secretary.
During the deliberations at the ICC meetings the question related to the participation of NHRIs in the UNHRC was discussed. The ICC meeting also discussed the conclusion of the International Round Table on the role of NHRIs and Treaty Bodies, held at Berlin in November 2006. The meeting also discussed ICC Accreditation procedures for NHRIs as well as the report of the sub-committee on accreditation. It was decided that the ICC should prepare a draft normative framework that could be used to assist in determining whether an applicant Institution or an Institution seeking re-accreditation, is in conformity with the Paris Principles. A working group would prepare the draft framework by October 2007 and the same would be forwarded to ICC members for comment, so that a final decision on the framework can be taken by March, 2008.
The meeting also discussed amendments to the rules of Procedure of international Conferences. NHRC made substantive contributions in the deliberations and the suggestions and views of the Commission were well received. Some of the important suggestions were also incorporated in the amendments carried out by the ICC in its rules of procedures.
It was decided that the next International Conference of National Human Rights Institutions (ICNI) would be held at Kenya in July/August, 2008.
Apart from the ICC meeting, the Asia Pacific Forum of National Institutions also held a meeting, which was attended by the NHRC delegation. A number of other meetings on the sidelines of the ICC meeting were also held.
During the Commonwealth Secretariat Steering Committee meeting-one of the parallel meetings in the 19th ICC Annual Meeting at Geneva, NHRC India took a stand that "if the Commonwealth Forum of NHRIs is established, then as per the definition of "Paris Principles" of NHRIs the non-compliant institutions will not be members. The Commission said in such a scenario, the proposed forum with members who are fully compliant with "Paris Principles", can play a vital role in the capacity building of more NHRIs.
A meeting of the Forum Councilors of the Asia Pacific Forum of National Institutions was also held on the sidelines of the Geneva meeting. The Agenda of the meeting included-election of Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the ICC, engagement of NHRIs with the Human Rights Council and Proposed amendments to the ICC rules of procedure. The Meeting also reviewed the Fiji Human Rights Commission and held discussions on the 12th Annual meeting of the APF scheduled from September 24 to 27, 2007, at Sydney, Australia.
Prior to the ICC meeting, a meeting of the ICC working group was held to consider the proposal of the French Human Rights Commission on the effective NHRI participation in the UN Human Rights Council. The proposal submitted by the President, French Human Rights Commission suggested that the participation of NHRIs in the Human Rights Council has not been as effective as it could have been due to lack of ICC co-ordination.
The National Institutions Unit of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) organized a thematic dialogue on the role of National Institutions in prevention of torture, on the sidelines. The Commission shared its experience on the topic by seeing a presentation.
During the deliberations at the ICC meetings the question related to the participation of NHRIs in the UNHRC was discussed. The ICC meeting also discussed the conclusion of the International Round Table on the role of NHRIs and Treaty Bodies, held at Berlin in November 2006. The meeting also discussed ICC Accreditation procedures for NHRIs as well as the report of the sub-committee on accreditation. It was decided that the ICC should prepare a draft normative framework that could be used to assist in determining whether an applicant Institution or an Institution seeking re-accreditation, is in conformity with the Paris Principles. A working group would prepare the draft framework by October 2007 and the same would be forwarded to ICC members for comment, so that a final decision on the framework can be taken by March, 2008.
The meeting also discussed amendments to the rules of Procedure of international Conferences. NHRC made substantive contributions in the deliberations and the suggestions and views of the Commission were well received. Some of the important suggestions were also incorporated in the amendments carried out by the ICC in its rules of procedures.
It was decided that the next International Conference of National Human Rights Institutions (ICNI) would be held at Kenya in July/August, 2008.
Apart from the ICC meeting, the Asia Pacific Forum of National Institutions also held a meeting, which was attended by the NHRC delegation. A number of other meetings on the sidelines of the ICC meeting were also held.
During the Commonwealth Secretariat Steering Committee meeting-one of the parallel meetings in the 19th ICC Annual Meeting at Geneva, NHRC India took a stand that "if the Commonwealth Forum of NHRIs is established, then as per the definition of "Paris Principles" of NHRIs the non-compliant institutions will not be members. The Commission said in such a scenario, the proposed forum with members who are fully compliant with "Paris Principles", can play a vital role in the capacity building of more NHRIs.
A meeting of the Forum Councilors of the Asia Pacific Forum of National Institutions was also held on the sidelines of the Geneva meeting. The Agenda of the meeting included-election of Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the ICC, engagement of NHRIs with the Human Rights Council and Proposed amendments to the ICC rules of procedure. The Meeting also reviewed the Fiji Human Rights Commission and held discussions on the 12th Annual meeting of the APF scheduled from September 24 to 27, 2007, at Sydney, Australia.
Prior to the ICC meeting, a meeting of the ICC working group was held to consider the proposal of the French Human Rights Commission on the effective NHRI participation in the UN Human Rights Council. The proposal submitted by the President, French Human Rights Commission suggested that the participation of NHRIs in the Human Rights Council has not been as effective as it could have been due to lack of ICC co-ordination.
The National Institutions Unit of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) organized a thematic dialogue on the role of National Institutions in prevention of torture, on the sidelines. The Commission shared its experience on the topic by seeing a presentation.