International Coordinating Committee Meeting
The International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (ICC) formally issued the certificate of 'A' status accreditation to the NHRC at its 25th Annual General Meeting held in Geneva from the 19th-22nd March, 2012. This status was awarded after a review of the NHRC's work by the ICC's Sub-Committee on Accreditation. The 'A' status is effective from 2011 to 2016.
Mr. Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Chairperson and Mr. P.C. Sharma, Member represented the NHRC at the ICC Meeting. On the issue of deciding eligibility criteria for selecting the Chairperson for the ICC, Mr. Justice Balakrishnan strongly argued that the chair should go only to a person who is a Member of his or her National Human Rights Institution. Mr. P.C. Sharma while intervening in the discussions on the budget of the ICC made the point that member countries who failed to discharge their financial obligations to the ICC should be notified and if they failed to respond positively, action on refusal of 'A' status to them should be considered.
Some of the other important points which were raised by the NHRC during the deliberations are as follows:-
" No NHRI should be cautioned or suspended without an objective assessment of its performance under the 'Paris Principles' and its limitations within the constitutional / legislative framework of the country concerned, which may be facing turmoil and unrest, leading to human rights violations;
" The ICC should study the different international protocols on environmental issues to draw out and compile those points which are relevant to human rights. These may be circulated among the ICC members for adoption in their respective countries.
Mr. Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Chairperson and Mr. P.C. Sharma, Member represented the NHRC at the ICC Meeting. On the issue of deciding eligibility criteria for selecting the Chairperson for the ICC, Mr. Justice Balakrishnan strongly argued that the chair should go only to a person who is a Member of his or her National Human Rights Institution. Mr. P.C. Sharma while intervening in the discussions on the budget of the ICC made the point that member countries who failed to discharge their financial obligations to the ICC should be notified and if they failed to respond positively, action on refusal of 'A' status to them should be considered.
Some of the other important points which were raised by the NHRC during the deliberations are as follows:-
" No NHRI should be cautioned or suspended without an objective assessment of its performance under the 'Paris Principles' and its limitations within the constitutional / legislative framework of the country concerned, which may be facing turmoil and unrest, leading to human rights violations;
" The ICC should study the different international protocols on environmental issues to draw out and compile those points which are relevant to human rights. These may be circulated among the ICC members for adoption in their respective countries.