Geneva, 1 October 2022 I GANHRI in consultation with the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA) members, SCA observers and OHCHR – as Secretariat of the SCA – will host a two-day retreat in Geneva on 1st and 2nd October 2022 as ongoing efforts in supporting the accreditation process.

SCA members as well as the SCA Secretariat and observers including regional networks, and the GANHRI Head Office, will meet to reflect on the SCA’s ongoing work and discuss opportunities to further strengthen the process, in support of the important role and contributions that NHRIs have at national and local levels.  Deliberations will be informed by a GANHRI-members wide consultation, hosted by GANHRI, to seek members’ views and experiences, across all regions and contexts.   

The accreditation process, which reviews the compliance of an established institution with the Paris Principles, is at the heart of GANHRI’s mandate and takes place under the auspices of OHCHR acting as GANHRI’s Secretariat. 

Accreditation helps to ensures independence, pluralism, accountability, and impartiality of NHRIs, by strengthening their mandate and ensuring the respect and integrity of the Paris Principles at the global level. 

The outcomes of the Retreat will be reported to the GANHRI Bureau at its next meeting in October 2022, will also inform the GANHRI strategic planning process, for the period 2023-2025. 

The upcoming accreditation session will be held in Geneva from 3 to 7 October and will review 16 NHRIs from the four regions. 

A detailed guide on the accreditation process and the role of the Sub-Committee on Accreditation is available here.