NHRC Convenes a Meeting of State Human Rights Commissions
The National Human Rights Commission held a meeting with the State Human Rights Commissions in New Delhi on the 17th August, 2010. In his opening remarks, the Chairperson, NHRC, Mr. Justice K.G. Balakrishnan said that all the State Governments should take steps to strengthen their State Human Rights Commissions. Mere setting up of the State Human Rights Commission will not serve any purpose, if they are not provided with sufficient manpower and infrastructure for their effective functioning. He observed that there are at present only 18 SHRCs in the country and that the government of Jharkhand and Sikkim have also recently notified the constitution of their SHRCs. He also said that the states which do not have Human Rights Commission should also take steps to set them up at the earliest.
Justice Balakrishnan said that the State Governments need to appreciate that the Human Rights Commissions are meant to facilitate good governance. They are for the help of the administration and the people of the country to achieve their social, cultural and economic rights. He appreciated the cooperation NHRC received from the State Governments, as 99 per cent of its recommendations have been implemented by them.
Justice Balakrishnan said that NHRC can assist in providing material and resource persons to the State Human Rights Commissions for the training of their personnel in the area of human rights. He also hoped that the State Human Rights Commission will improve their Complaint Management Systems with the assistance of NHRC.
During the discussions in the meeting, the growing quantum of complaints on human rights violations, lack of manpower, financial and infrastructural resources emerged as the major concerns of the State Human Rights Commissions. The State Human Rights Commissions were of the view that some mechanism needs to be evolved to ensure uniformity in deployment of manpower in the State Human Rights Commissions, either in accordance with the population or the number of complaints received in each state.
Earlier, welcoming the participants, the Secretary General, NHRC, Mr. K.S. Money stressed the need for closer interaction between NHRC and SHRCs to achieve the common objective of protection and promotion of human rights. He said that there is need to coordinate and converge the efforts of not just the NHRC and SHRCs but also the local bodies such as panchayats and civil society organizations to create a culture of human rights in the country.
Some of the other issues discussed during the meeting included Financial, Functional and Administrative Autonomy of SHRCs, complaint disposal by SHRCs, Financial assistance from NHRC for Human Rights Training programmes, organizing seminars and workshops, sittings of the Commission in States, involvement of NGOs, Amendments to the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, Complaint Management System, Strengthening of District Human Rights Courts.
The Chairperson, Members and representatives of the respective State Human Rights Commissions, NHRC Members and senior officers attended the meeting.
Justice Balakrishnan said that the State Governments need to appreciate that the Human Rights Commissions are meant to facilitate good governance. They are for the help of the administration and the people of the country to achieve their social, cultural and economic rights. He appreciated the cooperation NHRC received from the State Governments, as 99 per cent of its recommendations have been implemented by them.
Justice Balakrishnan said that NHRC can assist in providing material and resource persons to the State Human Rights Commissions for the training of their personnel in the area of human rights. He also hoped that the State Human Rights Commission will improve their Complaint Management Systems with the assistance of NHRC.
During the discussions in the meeting, the growing quantum of complaints on human rights violations, lack of manpower, financial and infrastructural resources emerged as the major concerns of the State Human Rights Commissions. The State Human Rights Commissions were of the view that some mechanism needs to be evolved to ensure uniformity in deployment of manpower in the State Human Rights Commissions, either in accordance with the population or the number of complaints received in each state.
Earlier, welcoming the participants, the Secretary General, NHRC, Mr. K.S. Money stressed the need for closer interaction between NHRC and SHRCs to achieve the common objective of protection and promotion of human rights. He said that there is need to coordinate and converge the efforts of not just the NHRC and SHRCs but also the local bodies such as panchayats and civil society organizations to create a culture of human rights in the country.
Some of the other issues discussed during the meeting included Financial, Functional and Administrative Autonomy of SHRCs, complaint disposal by SHRCs, Financial assistance from NHRC for Human Rights Training programmes, organizing seminars and workshops, sittings of the Commission in States, involvement of NGOs, Amendments to the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, Complaint Management System, Strengthening of District Human Rights Courts.
The Chairperson, Members and representatives of the respective State Human Rights Commissions, NHRC Members and senior officers attended the meeting.