European Network of National Human Rights Institutions

The European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) is a membership international not-for-profit association (AISBL) under Belgian law. In 2013 it established its Permanent Secretariat in Brussels bringing together National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) from across the wider European region. Formerly known as European Group of National Human Rights Institutions (European Group of NHRIs, the Group), ENNHRI has been actively working in the field of promotion and protection of human rights in wider Europe for 15 years. ENNHRI essentially assists in the establishment and accreditation of European NHRIs, coordinates the exchange of information and best practices among its members, facilitates capacity building and training, engages with international and regional mechanisms for protection and promotion of human right and intervenes on legal and policy developments in Europe. ENNHRI is one of four regional networks within the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions (ICC), supported by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Other three groups are following: Network of African National Human Rights Institutions, Network of National Institutions in the Americas and Asia Pacific Forum.

The ICC, or as often referred to, the global network of NHRIs was established in 1993. The NHRIs of the European region, however, first met in 1994 under the auspices of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. The following meeting took place in Copenhagen, where the European Coordinating Group was set up in order to enhance the cooperation with OHCHR, the Council of Europe and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR). A third meeting was, consequently held in context of roundtable with Council of Europe in 2000 in Strasbourg. The turning point for the formalisation of the European Group of National Human Rights Institutions, was its fourth meeting in Dublin where the members approved the Group’s Rules of Procedure and agreed to meet annually in the margins of ICC Annual meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. The European Group of NHRIs aspired to establish a Permanent Secretariat for many years. After receiving a start-up grant form UN OHCHR in 2013, the European Group of NHRIs recruited a Secretary General to establish a Permanent Secretariat in Brussels. In May 2013 the Group, agreed on the constitution and changed the name to the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI). The constitution became formal as ENNHRI’s statutes on incorporation later that year as an International Not-for-profit Association (AISBL) under Belgian law. ENNHRI Strategic planning meeting supported by OSCE-ODIHR with the participation of majority members took place in November 2013 in Budapest, Hungary. The outcomes of the meeting, ENNHRI’s Strategic Plan 2014-16 and Operational Plan 2014 were afterwards formally endorsed by ENNHRI General Assembly in March 2014.

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