New Delhi: The Geneva-based United Nations-linked Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), which is "one of the largest human rights networks worldwide", has deferred granting accreditation to India's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for the second year in a row. According to The Hindu, this decision was taken on May 1 during the meeting of the Sub Committee on Accreditation, and could affect India’s ability to vote at the Human Rights Council and some UN General Assembly bodies.

While this year's report from the committee is not out yet, last year's report had given reasons like the lack of transparency in appointments, lack of gender and minority representation, and the “conflict of interest” in the use of appointment of police officers to look into human rights abuses to not accredit the NHRC. It had said that the NHRC has failed to create conditions required to be “able to operate independent of government interference”.

The NHRC has reportedly been told of this deferral and asked to make certain changes. “GANHRI wanted us to make some structural changes and incorporate a few suggestions given by them. The same was not possible at this time due to the ongoing general elections,” an official told The Hindu.

GANHRI is a body of 120 members, of which 88 countries have “A” status accreditation, said to be "fully compliant with the Paris Principles", while 32 have “B” status”, or are "partially compliant with the Paris Principles". The NHRC used to have "A" accreditation.

The Paris Principles were adopted in 1993 by the UNGA.

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