National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) play a crucial role in the protection and promotion of human rights on the national level. Their mandate focuses on addressing human rights issues nationally, but they also ensure links to regional and international human rights protection mechanisms. NHRIs raise awareness, provide advice, undertake monitoring and hold authorities to account with the aim of promoting respect for and upholding of fundamental rights. The tables in the two tabs in this section provide an update of data in the following 2 areas:
Country | Name of Institution | Accreditation status |
---|---|---|
Austria | Austrian Ombudsman Board | A-status |
Belgium | Federal Institute for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights (FIRM) | Institution not yet accredited - Applied for accreditation |
Belgium | Interfederal Centre for Equal Opportunity and the fight against racism and discrimination (Unia) | B-status |
Bulgaria | Commission for protection against discrimination | B-status |
Bulgaria | Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria | A-status |
Croatia | Ombudswoman of the Republic of Croatia | A-status |
Cyprus | Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights | B-status |
Czechia | Public Defender of Rights | Institution not accredited |
Denmark | Danish Institute for Human Rights | A-status |
Estonia | Chancellor of Justice | A-status |
Finland | Finnish Human Rights Centre | A-status |
Finland | Parliamentary Ombudsman | A-status |
France | National Consultative Commission on Human Rights | A-status |
Germany | German Institute for Human Rights | A-status |
Greece | Greek National Commission for Human Rights | A-status |
Hungary | Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights | B-status |
Ireland | Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission | A-status |
Italy | National Guarantor for the Rights of Persons Detained or Deprived of Liberty | Institution not accredited |
Latvia | Ombuds institution’s Office of the Republic of Latvia | A-status |
Lithuania | The Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office | A-status |
Luxembourg | Consultative Human Rights Commission of Luxembourg | A-status |
Malta | Human Rights and Equality Commission1 | Institution not accredited |
Netherlands | Netherlands Institute for Human Rights | A-status |
Poland | Commissioner for Human Rights | A-status |
Portugal | Portuguese Ombudsman | A-status |
Romania | People’s Advocate | Institution not accredited - Applied for accreditation |
Romania | Romanian Institute for Human Rights | Institution not accredited - Applied for accreditation |
Slovakia | Slovak National Centre for Human Rights | B-status |
Slovenia | The Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia | A-status |
Spain | Ombuds institution of Spain | A-status |
Sweden | Equality Ombudsman | B-status |
Sweden | Institute for Human Rights | Institution not accredited |
Albania | People's Advocate of the Republic of Albania | A-status |
North Macedonia | Ombudsman of the Republic of North Macedonia | B-status |
Serbia | Protector of Citizens of the Republic of Serbia | A-status |
Notes:
Cells with a yellow background colour highlight changes since since the September 2021 update to the the 2020 report 'Strong and effective national human rights institutions - challenges, promising practices and opportunities'.
The Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill setting up the Human Rights and Equality Commission in Malta has not been adopted yet by the Maltese Parliament. See Malta, Parliament, Bill No. 97 – Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill.
Source: FRA, June, 2022
NHRI (or nearest equivalent) | Mandates | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Promotion and protection of human rights | Ombuds institutions with a mandate on maladministration | National preventive mechanisms under OPCAT | National monitoring mechanisms under CRPD | Equality bodies with a mandate on equal treatment | Monitoring of forced returns (EU Returns Directive) | Reporting on trafficking in human beings (EU directive) | Protecting freedom of movement and mobility rights in the EU | Other mandates1 | Number of mandates per NHRI | |
Austrian Ombusman Board | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 5 | ||||
Federal Institute for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights (FIRM) (Belgium) | ✔ | 1 | ||||||||
Interfederal Centre for Equal Opportunity and the fight against racism and discrimination (Unia) (Belgium) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 5 | ||||
Commission for protection against discrimination (Bulgaria) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 5 | ||||
Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria |
✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔✔ | 8 | ||
Ombudswoman of the Republic of Croatia | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 5 | ||||
Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights (Cyprus) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 6 | |||
Public Defender of Rights (Czechia) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 7 | ||
Danish Institute for Human Rights | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 4 | |||||
Chancellor of Justice (Estonia) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔✔ | 7 | |||
Finnish Human Rights Centre | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 3 | ||||||
Parliamentary Ombudsman (Finland) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 4 | |||||
National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (France) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔✔ | 5 | |||||
German Institute for Human Rights | ✔ | ✔ | 2 | |||||||
Greek National Commission for Human Rights | ✔ | 1 | ||||||||
Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights (Hungary) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔✔✔ | 6 | |||||
Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 7 | |||
National Guarantor for the Rights of Persons Detained or Deprived of Liberty (Italy) | ✔ | ✔ | 2 | |||||||
Ombuds institution’s Office of the Republic of Latvia | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 6 | |||
The Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office (Lithuania) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 3 | ||||||
Consultative Human Rights Commission of Luxembourg | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 3 | ||||||
Human Rights and Equality Commission (Malta) | 0 | |||||||||
Netherlands Institute for Human Rights | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 3 | ||||||
Commissioner for Human Rights (Poland) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 5 | ||||
Portuguese Ombudsman | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔✔ | 6 | ||||
People’s Advocate (Romania) | ✔ | ✔ | 2 | |||||||
Romanian Institute for Human Rights | ✔ | 1 | ||||||||
Slovak National Centre for Human Rights | ✔ | ✔ | 2 | |||||||
The Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 3 | ||||||
Ombuds institution of Spain | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 5 | ||||
Equality Ombudsman (Sweden) | ✔ | ✔ | 2 | |||||||
Institute for Human Rights (Sweden) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 3 | ||||||
People's Advocate of the Republic of Albania |
✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 9 |
Ombudsman of the Republic of North Macedonia | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 6 | |||
Protector of Citizens of the Republic of Serbia | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 7 | ||
NHRIs per mandate | 32 | 16 | 20 | 23 | 15 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 24 |
Notes:
1 Other mandates are spelled out in the table below.
Cells with a yellow background colour highlight changes since the since the September 2021 update to the 2020 report 'Strong and effective national human rights institutions - challenges, promising practices and opportunities'.
Source: FRA, June, 2022
Other mandates
NHRI (or nearest equivalent) | Other mandates | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Rights of the child | Freedom of information | Standing in front of constitutional court for review of legislation | Other | |
Austrian Ombusman Board | Member of the Austrian Pension commission | |||
Interfederal Centre for Equal Opportunity and the fight against racism and discrimination (Unia) (Belgium) | National mechanism under CERD | |||
Commission for protection against discrimination (Bulgaria) | Hate crime | |||
Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria |
✔ | ✔ | ||
Ombudswoman of the Republic of Croatia | ✔ | |||
Public Defender of Rights (Czechia) | ✔ | |||
Chancellor of Justice (Estonia) | ✔ | ✔ | ||
Finnish Human Rights Centre | Corporate responsibility | |||
National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (France) | Corporate responsibility International humanitarian law |
|||
Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights (Hungary) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission | ✔ | Hate crime | ||
Ombuds institution’s Office of the Republic of Latvia | ✔ | |||
Portuguese Ombudsman | ✔ | Member of the Portuguese Council of state | ||
Institute for Human Rights (Sweden) | ✔ | |||
People's Advocate of the Republic of Albania |
✔ | |||
Ombudsman of the Republic of North Macedonia | ✔ | |||
Protector of Citizens of the Republic of Serbia | ✔ |