Re-accreditation For India's National Human Rights Commission Deferred By UN-Affiliated Agency

A global agency affiliated with the United Nations (UN) deferred the re-accreditation of India's human rights body for a year, for the second time, according to The Indian Express.

The Indian body in question is the National Human Rights Commission.

Re-accreditation happens every five years.

The NHRC's 'A' status has not been renewed by the Sub Committee on Accreditation (SCA) to the Global Alliance for National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), meaning that the NHRC can no longer represent India at the UN Human Rights Council.

According to The Indian Express, the NHRC clarified that the deferment decision taken by the SCA does not indicate any recommendation or decision on the NHRC's accreditation status.

The SCA advised the NHRC to enhance compliance with Paris Principles by urging lawmakers and the government for specific legislative changes, as per The Indian Express.

The Paris Principles, adopted in 1991, establish the basic standards for national human rights institutions to be deemed credible and effective.

The NHRC was granted 'A' status accreditation by the SCA in 2017 after it was deferred the year before. This marked the first time the accreditation was deferred since the NHRC's establishment in 1993.

The GANHRI cited the appointment of political representatives and a lack of gender balance and pluralism among NHRC staff as reasons for the deferment.

The NHRC achieved 'A'-level accreditation in 1999, and maintained it in 2006, 2011, and 2017.