Global agency affiliated to UN rights body defers NHRC accreditation

Without the accreditation, NHRC will be unable to represent India at the UN Human Rights Council.

In response to a question by The Indian Express, the NHRC stated that “the deferment is an action of the SCA, and not a recommendation on the accreditation status of the NHRC, India.“

It stated, “The GANHRI [is] responsible for reviewing and accrediting National Human Rights Institutions in compliance with the Paris Principles every five years. As part of this process, the review of NHRC, India was due in March 2023, for its re-accreditation, which has been deferred for a year, meaning, thereby no final decision has been taken as yet.”

The NHRC also stated: “The process of re-accreditation has not concluded. The subcommittee has recommended advocating with the government and parliamentarians for certain legislative amendments to improve compliance with the Paris Principles.”

Adopted in 1991, the Paris Principles are a crucial step in development of standards for national human rights institutions across the world. The six principles require a country‘s human rights agency to be independent from the government in its structure, composition, decision-making and method of operation.

In 2016, the GANHRI had cited appointment of political representatives, failure in ensuring gender balance and pluralism in NHRC staff among its reasons for the deferment.

The NHRC got ‘A’ status of accreditation for the first time in 1999, which it retained in 2006, 2011, and in 2017 after it was deferred for a year. The NHRC is headed by Justice Arun Mishra, former judge of the Supreme Court.