Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission - International Status

International Status

Although it operates at sub-national level, the NIHRC was in 2001 recognised as a member of the worldwide network of national human rights institutions, securing "B status" accreditation from the International Co-ordinating Committee of NHRIs (ICC), and full or "A status" accreditation in 2006. The Commission thus gained enhanced access to the Human Rights Council, treaty bodies and other United Nations human rights bodies. The NIHRC was the first NHRI in the UK, but following the creation of the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), both now ICC-accredited, the three bodies share representation and voting rights in the ICC and its regional network, the European Group of NHRIs.

The NIHRC has since 1999 engaged in parallel reporting ("shadow reporting") at almost every UK periodic examination under the UN and was designated as part of the United Kingdom's independent mechanism for promoting, monitoring and protecting implementation in the state of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). It shared that role with the other two NHRIs in the UK - the EHRC and SHRC - and a fourth body, the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI). Since the 2011 restructuring, which resulted in the departure of staff with disability expertise, the NIHRC has ceased work on the CRPD and the ECNI has in effect become the sole element of the independent mechanism in Northern Ireland.

The NIHRC's ICC accreditation was reviewed in May 2011, and the recommendation for renewed A status became effective in July.