NHRI accreditation status and mandates - update 2024

Support for human rights systems and defenders

Since the publication of its 2020 report 'Strong and effective national human rights institutions – challenges, promising practices and opportunities', the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has been regularly tracking the accreditation status and the mandates of the NHRIs. This December 2023 Update develops the annual update further and covers not only the accreditation status and the mandates, but also additional aspects, namely the role of NHRIs in the context of EU funds and the use of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

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1. Accreditation Status

Since December 2022, none of the National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) had a change in its accreditation status. In total, eleven NHRIs applied for accreditation or re-accreditation.

Both Romanian NHRIs, the Romanian People’s Advocate and the Institute for Human Rights, have a pending status, meaning they have applied for accreditation. The Swedish Institute for Human Rights applied for accreditation and membership in GANHRI on 14 April 2023, but has not yet been ranked by the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA). The Swedish Equality Ombuds institution, currently a B-status-member of GANHRI, has informed the SCA that it intends to withdraw its membership as soon as the membership for the Swedish Institute has been approved. Institutions possessing an A-status accreditation, such as the Portuguese Ombudsman, the Consultative Human Rights Commission of Luxembourg, the German Institute for Human Rights, the Finnish Human Rights Centre and Parliamentary Ombudsman, and the Ombuds institution of Spain have formally initiated the process of seeking re-accreditation for their respective statuses. The Belgian Federal Institute for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights (FIRM) has submitted an application for the reaffirmation of its accreditation status, notwithstanding its current classification as a B-status institution.

Table 1 – Accreditation status of National Human Rights Institutions as of 1 December 2023

Country	Name of Institution	Accreditation status
Austria	Austrian Ombudsman Board	A-status
Belgium	Federal Institute for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights (FIRM)	B-status *
Belgium	Interfederal Centre for Equal Opportunity and the fight against racism and discrimination (Unia)	B-status
Bulgaria	Commission for Protection against Discrimination	B-status
Bulgaria	Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria	A-status
Croatia	Ombudswoman of the Republic of Croatia	A-status
Cyprus	Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights	A-status
Czechia	Public Defender of Rights	Institution not accredited
Denmark	Danish Institute for Human Rights	A-status
Estonia	Chancellor of Justice	A-status
Finland	Finnish Human Rights Centre	A-status *
Finland	Parliamentary Ombudsman	A-status *
France	National Consultative Commission on Human Rights	A-status
Germany	German Institute for Human Rights	A-status *
Greece	Greek National Commission for Human Rights	A-status
Hungary	Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights	B-status
Ireland	Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission	A-status
Italy	National Guarantor for the Rights of Persons Detained or Deprived of Liberty	Institution not accredited
Latvia	Ombuds institution’s Office of the Republic of Latvia	A-status
Lithuania	The Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office	A-status *
Luxembourg	Consultative Human Rights Commission of Luxembourg	A-status *
Malta[3] The Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill setting up the Human Rights and Equality Commission in Malta has not been adopted yet by the Maltese Parliament. See Malta, Parliament, Bill No. 97 – Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill.	Human Rights and Equality Commission	Institution not accredited
Netherlands	Netherlands Institute for Human Rights	A-status
Poland	Commissioner for Human Rights	A- status
Portugal	Portuguese Ombudsman	A-status *
Romania	People’s Advocate	Institution not accredited - Applied for accreditation *
Romania	Romanian Institute for Human Rights	Institution not accredited - Applied for accreditation *
Slovakia	Slovak National Centre for Human Rights	B-status
Slovenia	Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia	A-status
Spain	Ombuds institution of Spain	A-status *
Sweden	Equality Ombudsman	B-status
Sweden	Institute for Human Rights	Applied for accreditation *
Albania	People's Advocate of the Republic of Albania	A-status
North Macedonia	Ombudsman of the Republic of North Macedonia	B-status
Serbia	Protector of Citizens of the Republic of Serbia	A-status

Note: * highlights (re)accreditation applications after the December 2022 update.

Introduction 2. Mandates

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NHRI accreditation status and mandates - update 2024

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1. Accreditation Status