1.3.1 Key features

The Paris Principles are standards that all national human rights institutions should meet.

They also contain “additional” or optional principles that apply only to institutions with what is called “quasi-jurisdictional competence” in the Paris Principles. These additional principles apply to institutions authorised to receive individual complaints and to render decisions on them. Since these additional principles are optional, they are not dealt with in detail here.

The Paris Principles are minimum conditions. NHRIs should comply with them in order to be effective in terms of human rights protection and promotion, and to be accredited by peer institutions within the UN system.19However, the Paris Principles should not be understood as preventing States from creating NHRIs that have additional powers or from exceeding the standards set in the Paris Principles. But the Principles must be met in order for a national human rights institution to be accredited. Under the Paris Principles, NHRIs are required to:

• Protect human rights, including by receiving, investigating and resolving complaints, mediating conflicts and monitoring activities; and
• Promote human rights, through education, outreach, media, publications, training and capacity-building activities, as well as by advising and assisting governments.

As independent institutions with a mandate to combat discrimination and promote and protect human rights and, subject to their enabling statutes, NHRIs are directly engaged in work related to:

• Civil and political rights
• Economic, social and cultural rights
• The Paris Principles identify six main criteria:
• A broad mandate, based on universal human rights standards;
• Autonomy from other State entities;
• Independence guaranteed by statute or constitution;
• Pluralism including through membership and/or effective cooperation;
• Adequate resources; and
• Adequate powers of investigation.

A full discussion of each of these six areas can be found in Chapter 10.

It should be noted that non-compliance with the Paris Principles does not mean that the UN should refuse to work with an institution: however, non-compliance does signal that activities should be directed towards achieving compliance.

19 The process by which a national institution is accredited as complying with the Paris Principles is described in Chapter 10 of this Toolkit.