New Delhi, June 10th, 2011

The Accreditation Sub-Committee of the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions, ICC has recommended that the National Human Rights Commission of India be reaccredited with 'A' status. The decision came following a session of the ICC Sub-Committee on accreditation in Geneva from 23rd -27th May, 2011. The NHRC, India continues to hold 'A' status with ICC since 1999. This status is given to the NHRIs which are fully compliant with the 'Paris Principles' towards the promotion and protection of human rights.

The Sub-Committee on Accreditation in the context of composition and pluralism of the NHRC, India has taken note of the presence of deemed Members, who also comprise women from the National Commissions like National Commission for Women, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes and National Commission for Minorities as part of the Full Statutory Commission. Very often the Chairpersons of the National Commissions, who are deemed Members of the Statutory Commission, have been from Civil Society.

The ICC Sub-Committee has welcomed the initiative by NHRC, India in holding discussions with the deemed Members during the Statutory Commission meetings to address issues related with women's rights, minorities, scheduled castes and tribes.

The ICC has also been informed that the NHRC, India has extensive formal cooperation with its core groups and expert groups of different stakeholders including NGOs on many issues of human rights.

The Commission has already responded to the ICC that the appointments of the Chairperson and Members to the Commission are made by the President of India on the recommendations by a committee headed by the Prime Minister and comprising Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha, Speaker of Lok Sabha, Leader of the Opposition, Lok Sabha and the Union Home Minister. And, this process is considered as the most transparent process of appointment of Chairperson and Members of the NHRIs in the world.

The Commission in response to a query by ICC on the recruitments of the majority of the Members from the senior judiciary has said that since the judiciary in India has taken the lead in establishing standards of human rights, and holding Government accountable to them, it is a travesty to claim that being a judge does not guarantee support for human rights.

The appointments of senior officers to the Commission are not made by the Government without consulting and seeking the Commission's concurrence and once appointed in the Commission, the officers and the staff work under full control and directions of the Commission without any interference from the Government in their functioning.

The NHRC, India has also made independent appointments of senior officers through a merit based selection process which included appointments of the Joint Secretary (Training) and the Director.

The Sub-Committee on Accreditation also took note of NHRC, India's complaint handling system to address the increasing number of complaints and delays in complaint handling.

It has taken note of the process of submission of annual reports, which are brought in public domain through Parliament. The process, as per the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 passed by Parliament, requires that the NHRC, India submit its annual reports to People's Representatives in Parliament through the Government so that it reaches to them along with the response of the Government to the recommendations and issues raised by the Commission therein.


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