Principles relating to the Status of National Institutions
(The Paris Principles)
Adopted by General Assembly resolution 48/134 of 20 December 1993
Competence and responsibilities
1. A national institution shall be vested with competence to promote and protect human rights.
2. A national institution shall be given as broad a mandate as possible, which shall be clearly set forth
in a constitutional or legislative text, specifying its composition and its sphere of competence.
3. A national institution shall, inter alia, have the following responsibilities:
( a ) To submit to the Government, Parliament and any other competent body, on an advisory basis
either at the request of the authorities concerned or through the exercise of its power to hear a matter
without higher referral, opinions, recommendations, proposals and reports on any matters concerning
the promotion and protection of human rights; the national institution may decide to publicize them;
these opinions, recommendations, proposals and reports, as well as any prerogative of the national
institution, shall relate to the following areas:
(i) Any legislative or administrative provisions, as well as provisions relating to judicial organizations,
intended to preserve and extend the protection of human rights; in that connection, the national
institution shall examine the legislation and administrative provisions in force, as well as bills and
proposals, and shall make such recommendations as it deems appropriate in order to ensure that
these provisions conform to the fundamental principles of human rights; it shall, if necessary,
recommend the adoption of new legislation, the amendment of legislation in force and the adoption or
amendment of administrative measures;
(ii) Any situation of violation of human rights which it decides to take up;
(iii) The preparation of reports on the national situation with regard to human rights in general, and on
more specific matters;
(iv) Drawing the attention of the Government to situations in any part of the country where human
rights are violated and making proposals to it for initiatives to put an end to such situations and,
where necessary, expressing an opinion on the positions and reactions of the Government;
( b ) To promote and ensure the harmonization of national legislation, regulations and practices with
the international human rights instruments to which the State is a party, and their effective
implementation;
( c ) To encourage ratification of the above-mentioned instruments or accession to those instruments,
and to ensure their implementation;
( d ) To contribute to the reports which States are required to submit to United Nations bodies and
committees, and to regional institutions, pursuant to their treaty obligations and, where necessary, to
express an opinion on the subject, with due respect for their independence;
1