THE NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION (‘NHRC’) HAS FINALLY BEEN DOWNGRADED by the UN-linked body, the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (‘GANHRI’). After the All India Network of NGOs and Individuals Working with National and State Human Rights Institutions (‘AiNNI’) sent its civil society reports to the GANHRI regarding NHRC’s non-compliance with the Paris principles, the NHRC ‘A status’ was deferred thrice, in 2016, 2023, and 2024, all because they failed to implement the recommendations of the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (‘SCA’).
The consequence of the Downgrade
As it is finally recommended to be downgraded, the NHRC would face multiple diplomatic consequences in its engagement with the United Nations. It would not be able to vote in the United Nations Human Rights Council and will lose its power to participate in the Universal Periodic Review. A reflection on this sad status reminds us of NHRC’s screeching silence on the death of Fr. Stan Swamy and Prof. G.N. Saibaba, on the fate of hundreds of political prisoners incarcerated following the CAA protests and the Kashmir unrest and on the Manipur riots. It also reminds us of the tragedy of the NHRC remaining headless for almost half a year until its new chairperson was appointed arbitrarily earlier this year.
