A meeting of the Statutory Full Commission, chaired by Justice Shri K.G. Balakrishnan, Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission was held at Manav Adhikar Bhawan in New Delhi on the 3rd February, 2015. NHRC Members, Justice Shri Cyriac Joseph, Justice Shri D. Murugesan and Shri S.C. Sinha, Chairperson, National Commission for Minorities, Shri Nazeem Ahmed, Chairperson, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, Shri P.L. Punia, Vice-Chairperson, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, Shri Ravi Thakur participated in the discussions. Chairperson, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Shri V.S. Oberoi attended the meeting as special invitee. Shri Narendra Kumar, Deputy Secretary, National Commission for Women also attended.
Some to the important issues discussed during the meeting were as follows:
(i) strengthening of convergence between NHRC and all other National Commissions;
(ii) implementation of the existing Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act and the proposed changes in the Act by the Ministry of Women and Child Development;
(iii) framework to monitor the implementation of the recommendations accepted by the Government of India at the Second Universal Periodic Review;
(iv) continued violence against women and effectiveness of the changes in laws (Criminal Laws Amendment Act, 2013) carried out in 2013;
(v) availability of basic structure and resources to all the National Commissions as per their requirements to fulfil their mandate.
In addition, the members also discussed on the need to hold periodic meetings of the Senior Executive Officers/Chief Executive Officers of the National Commissions, similar to the Senior Executive Officers Meeting organised by the Asia Pacific Forum annually.