Afghanistan: UN concerned over appointment of new human rights commissioners
| Publisher | UN News Service |
| Publication Date | 18 June 2013 |
| Cite as | UN News Service, Afghanistan: UN concerned over appointment of new human rights commissioners, 18 June 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/51c968664.html [accessed 19 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The United Nations human rights Office today expressed concern over President Hâmid Karzai's appointment of five new commissioners to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), stressing that selection processes must follow agreed international standards.
"The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has asked her Office to carefully review the appointment process to assess whether it complies with the Paris Principles, the international standard governing national human rights institutions of this kind, and the AIHRC's own statute," said spokesperson for the Office, Rupert Colville, during a press briefing in Geneva.
"These require, among other elements, that the process is transparent, that it includes broad consultation throughout, and that members are selected to serve in their own individual capacity rather than on behalf of any organization."
On 16 June, Mr. Karzai appointed five new commissioners, and asked four other commissioners to serve a further term. Mr. Colville said that Ms. Pillay believes "it is essential that the high calibre of its members be maintained and the AIHRC's independence and integrity be upheld."
The Paris Principles list a number of responsibilities for national institutions. Among these is ensuring the institution's independence and pluralism. Compliance with the Paris Principles is a requirement for national human rights institutions to gain access to the UN Human Rights Council and other bodies.
Mr. Colville emphasized the importance of having the appointments follow the Principles, and said the Commission's compliance will also be evaluated by the international accreditation body for national institutions in November this year, "at which point, the AIHRC risks having its current 'A' status accreditation downgraded if the appointment of new commissioners is viewed as not being in line with the Principles."
Out of almost 100 national human rights institutions around the world, 67 are accredited with "A" Status for compliance with the Paris Principles.
Mr. Colville also noted that the appointment of new commissioners in line with the Paris Principles was a key human rights benchmark in the Tokyo Mutual Accountability Framework agreed between the Government of Afghanistan and its international partners in July 2012.
