The Scottish Human Rights Commission has been elected as Chair of the European Group of National Human Rights Institutions during a meeting of international organisations in Geneva today.

The European Group is one of four regional groups which bring together human rights bodies from all over the world. The European Group is made up of 35 human rights institutions from Portugal to Azerbijan, Luxembourg to Greece, and works alongside regional groups from Africa, Asia / Pacific and the Americas.

Professor Alan Miller, Chair of the Scottish Human Rights Commission, said the organisation would help to ensure that NHRIs across the continent coordinate their actions to promote and protect human rights for everyone in Europe, and work effectively with the United Nations and regional mechanisms such as the Council of Europe.

Professor Miller said: “We are enormously proud to have been elected to lead our sister commissions across Europe in promoting respect and recognition for human rights at home and internationally.

“National human rights institutions play an essential role in promoting and protecting human rights, and that role is strengthened through the solidarity of our regional groups. We will ensure that the European group remains a strong voice at the United Nations and with the Council of Europe. We will also work to build capacity of some of the newer NHRIs in central and Eastern Europe.”

The election took place during the 24th Annual Meeting of the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, which opened earlier today at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

Scotland is one of 67 national human rights institutions who have achieved the highest level of accreditation from the United Nations, achieving ‘A’ status in 2010.  
The meeting is being attended by representatives from over 160 countries as well as Government and NGO observers.

More information about the 24th Annual Meeting of the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, which UN High Commissioner Navi Pillay addressed this morning, is available from the website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights – link.