Assistant to the head of the Centre for Human Rights, Dr. Simona Drenik Bavdek, on behalf of the institution of the Ombudsman, attended the annual meeting of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), which took place from 6 to 8 May 2024, in Geneva.
The GANHRI General Assembly was held as part of the session, where special attention was paid to the discussion of the standards of operation of national human rights institutions and the understanding of the Paris Principles on the Status of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI). The General Assembly supported GANHRI's efforts to further strengthen the alliance's position within the United Nations, and there was also an exchange of views on strengthening the role of national institutions and national preventive mechanisms in preventing torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Participants agreed that a review of the Subcommittee on Accreditation (SCA) Paris Principles General Commentary is needed. "The general comments are binding on all national institutions that wish to obtain accreditation. They are intended for both countries and national institutions and SCAs in the assessment of NHRI applications to obtain appropriate status under the Paris Principles. In January 2021, the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia obtained A status according to the Paris Principles, which means that the institution meets the highest international standards of operation, and the re-accreditation procedure awaits in 2025, says Dr. Simona Drenik Bavdek.
At the ENNHRI General Assembly, which took place on the first day of the annual session, European national institutions exchanged opinions on the status of national institutions and on the situation in the field of the protection of human rights defenders in Europe. The participants agreed that national authorities have relatively little knowledge of international standards regarding the mandate and operation of NHRIs. In Europe, there has also been a noticeable trend of decreasing the level of protection of human rights defenders for years. "At the end of last year, the Ombudsman issued a special publication on the international standards of his activities, as he wanted to draw attention to the fact that the operation of the institution of the Ombudsman has long been no longer subject to national legislation only. International standards must first be respected and implemented by the state, and of course the institution itself must also take them into account in its work. The Ombudsman supports proposals for the establishment of an appropriate regional mechanism for the protection of human rights defenders in Europe," underlines dr. Drenik Bavdek.
On the last day of the session, the GANHRI annual conference was held, which dealt with respect for human rights in the economy. The Plan for the Next Decade, developed at the end of 2021 by the United Nations Working Group on Human Rights in the Economy, was discussed. "The Ombudsman sees the important role of the NHRI in the promotion of human rights in the economy, which is why he organised a consultation on this topic last year, in which representatives of the authorities, state institutions, business, and civil society participated. In the future, more attention should also be paid to the fight against climate change and the climate crisis, the influence of technology companies on the control of human rights defenders, and the adoption and monitoring of the appropriate legal framework, the national action plan, and voluntary commitments of the economy," stresses Dr. Drenik Bavdek.
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The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions – GANHRI (until 2016 under the name International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions – ICC) is a global network of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), established in 1993, which coordinates the relationship between NHRIs and of the United Nations human rights system, and is also the only organisation outside the United Nations whose internal accreditation system, based on compliance with the 1993 United Nations Paris Principles, allows access to United Nations committees. GANHRI also has special status in the United Nations Human Rights Council. From 2000 to 2020, the Ombudsman was accredited with status B according to the Paris Principles, and since January 2021, it has been accredited with status A, which means that it meets all the criteria and also has the right to vote in GANHRI. GANHRI currently has 120 members (among them 88 with A status), which connect to four regional networks (European, African, American, and Asia-Pacific). The Ombudsman is an active member of the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions, which was founded in 2013 and unites more than 40 European NHRIs.
