National human rights structures

This section provides an overview of national human rights structures across various governance levels, including public authorities, parliamentary committees, government agencies, and civil society. Some, like equality bodies and data protection authorities, are mandated by EU law, while others address EU fundamental rights when required by legislation. The roles and structures of these national bodies continue to change over time.

MS	Organisation name	Type of structure	Legal source	More details
Germany	Federal Anti-discrimination Agency	Statutory human rights body	General Equal Treatment Act (Allgemeines GleichbehandlungsgesetzAntidiskriminierungsstelle - Gesetzliche Grundlagen), which implements the EU’s non-discrimination directives and sometimes goes beyond them	View more
Germany	German Institute for Human Rights	Statutory human rights body	The independent national human rights institution of Germany under §1 of the German Institute for Human Rights law (GIHR law) An accredited A-status national human rights institution according to the UN’s Paris Principles	View more
Germany	National Agency for the Prevention of Torture	Statutory human rights body	Article 3of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) (Fakultativprotokoll zum Übereinkommen gegen Folter und andere grausame, unmenschliche oder erniedrigende Behandlung oder Strafe) of18 December 2002provides for the establishment of national mechanisms for the prevention of torture to supplement the work of the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture. Germany ratified OPCAT on20 September 2006, making it national law. Organisational decree of the Federal Ministry of Justice of20 November 2008(Federal GazetteNo 182,p. 4277;Sachstand) established the National Agency for the Prevention of Torture.	View more

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National human rights structures navigator

National human rights structures