Editors' Introduction

• Author: Shelagh Day, Lucie Lamarche & Ken Norman
• Pages: 1-15

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EDITORS’ INTRODUCTION

Shelagh Day, Lucie Lamarche, & Ken Norman

A. INTRODUCTION

Twenty years ago, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the

widely known a nd well-celebrated Paris Pr inciples on National Institutions

for the Promotion and Protec tion of Human Rights.1 The Paris Pr inciples set

standards for national human rights instit utions. They specify that hu-

man right s institutions should be aut horized to inquire into a nd report

publicly on any violation of human rights; human rights institutions

must also be independent from government, be appointed through in-

clusive and tra nsparent procedures, and have ade quate and stable fund-

ing. Subsequently t he United Nations Huma n Rights Council has ca lled

on governments around the world to establish human rights institu-

tions with broa d mandates to protect and promote a ll human right s and,

where they exi st, to strengthen t hem.2

Today, over one hundred national human rights institutions exist

in the world and are members of the International Coordinating Com-

mittee of the National Institutions for Promotion and Protection of

Human Rights.3 In Canada, the term human rights institutions refers to

1 Principles Relat ing to the Status of National Institut ions, annex to National In-

stitutions for th e Promotion and Protect ion of Human Rights, CHR Res 54, UN E-

SCOR, Supp No 2, UN Doc E/1992/22, (1992); GA Res 48/134, UNGAOR, 48th

Sess, (1993) Annex.

2 National Institutions for the P romotion and Protect ion of Human Rights, UN Doc

A/HRC/Res/20/14, 16 July 2012 and A/ HRC/23/L.15, 7 June 2013.

3 See International Coord inating Commit tee of the National In stitutions for

Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (ICC), online: ICC http://nhri.