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13
December
2022

December 2022 update - NHRI accreditation status and mandates

National human rights systems and bodies
Support for human rights systems and defenders
National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) continue to play a key role in upholding fundamental rights. FRA keeps track of the accreditation status and the mandates of the NHRIs. In 2022, the NHRI in Cyprus was upgraded to an ‘A-status’ institution. In addition, the mandates of six NHRIs changed to include child protection or the protection of LGBTI people.
Overview

The European Commission called NHRIs an 'indispensable element in the system of checks and balances in a healthy democracy’ in its 2022 annual rule of law report.

They also keep watch over the rights and principles enshrined in the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights.

The mandate of the NHRIs is based on the UN General Assembly’s Paris Principles of 1993 ('Principles Relating to the Status of National Human Rights Institutions'). They provide the basis for assessing the independence and effectiveness of national human rights institutions.

The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) uses the Paris Principles to determine the international accreditation status of national human rights institutions.

This update builds on FRA’s 2020 comprehensive report Strong and effective national human rights institutions – challenges, promising practices and opportunities. The report demonstrated the potential for further strengthening the NHRIs in the EU.

FRA currently has a capacity-building project with selected NHRIs and the European Network of NHRIs (ENNHRI). The aim is to help increase the NHRIs’ capacity in applying the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and in monitoring of fundamental rights aspects of the rule of law.

The project is supported by the EEA and Norway Grants.

Accreditation status
Country Name of Institution Accreditation status
Austria Austrian Ombudsman Board A-status
Belgium Federal Institute for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights (FIRM) Institution not accredited - seeking first-time accreditation, SCA will look into it in March 2023
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 Human Rights and Equality Commission1 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 The 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 Institution not accredited
     
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 (SCA will look into its regular reaccreditation in March 2023)

Notes:

Cells with a yellow background colour highlight changes since since the September 2021 update to the the 2020 report 'Strong and effective national human rights institutions - challenges, promising practices and opportunities'.

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.

Source: FRA, December, 2022

Mandates
NHRI (or nearest equivalent) Mandates
  Promotion and protection of human rights Ombuds institutions with a mandate on maladministration National preventive mechanisms under OPCAT National monitoring mechanisms under CRPD Equality bodies with a mandate on equal treatment Monitoring of forced returns (EU Returns Directive) Reporting on trafficking in human beings (EU directive) Protecting freedom of movement and mobility rights in the EU Other mandates1
Austrian Ombusman Board ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔         ✔
Federal Institute for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights (FIRM) (Belgium) ✔                
Interfederal Centre for Equal Opportunity and the fight against racism and discrimination (Unia) (Belgium) ✔     ✔ ✔     ✔ ✔
Commission for protection against discrimination (Bulgaria) ✔     ✔ ✔     ✔ ✔
Ombudsman of the
Republic of Bulgaria		 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔   ✔   ✔ ✔
Ombudswoman of the Republic of Croatia ✔ ✔ ✔   ✔       ✔
Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights (Cyprus) ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔     ✔
Public Defender of Rights (Czechia)   ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔   ✔ ✔
Danish Institute for Human Rights ✔   ✔ ✔ ✔        
Chancellor of Justice (Estonia) ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔       ✔✔
Finnish Human Rights Centre ✔     ✔         ✔
Parliamentary Ombudsman (Finland) ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔          
National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (France) ✔     ✔     ✔   ✔✔
German Institute for Human Rights ✔     ✔     ✔   3
Greek National Commission for Human Rights ✔               ✔
Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights (Hungary) ✔   ✔   ✔       ✔
Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission ✔     ✔ ✔   ✔ ✔ ✔
National Guarantor for the Rights of Persons Detained or Deprived of Liberty (Italy)     ✔     ✔      
Ombuds institution’s Office of the Republic of Latvia ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔     ✔
The Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office (Lithuania) ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔       3
Consultative Human Rights Commission of Luxembourg ✔     ✔     ✔    
Human Rights and Equality Commission (Malta)                  
Netherlands Institute for Human Rights ✔     ✔ ✔        
Commissioner for Human Rights (Poland) ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔        
Portuguese Ombudsman ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔         ✔
People’s Advocate (Romania) ✔   ✔            
Romanian Institute for Human Rights ✔                
Slovak National Centre for Human Rights ✔       ✔        
The Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia ✔ ✔ ✔            
Ombuds institution of Spain ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔   ✔      
Equality Ombudsman (Sweden) ✔       ✔        
Institute for Human Rights (Sweden) ✔     ✔         ✔
                   
People's Advocate
of the Republic of Albania		 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Ombudsman of the Republic of North Macedonia ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔     ✔   ✔
Protector of Citizens of the Republic of Serbia ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔   ✔ ✔   ✔

Notes:

1 Other mandates are spelled out in the table below. 

Cells with a yellow background colour highlight changes since the since the June 2022 update to the 2020 report 'Strong and effective national human rights institutions - challenges, promising practices and opportunities'.

Source: FRA, December, 2022

Other mandates

 
NHRI (or nearest equivalent) Other mandates
Austrian Ombusman Board Establishing and chairing the Pension Committee under the Pensions for Victims of Children`s Homes Act
Ombudswoman of the Republic of Croatia External channel for the reporting of irregularities under the Act on the Protection of Persons Who Report Irregularities
Finnish Human Rights Centre Child rights
National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (France) LGBTI rights ; National commission for the implementation of international humanitarian law