In a letter to the Presidents of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies of Italy published today, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty encouraged the Italian Parliament to establish a fully independent National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) with a broad mandate.
While a number of human rights bodies exist in Italy with sectoral competencies and varying degrees of independence, Italy is one of the few remaining Council of Europe member states without an NHRI, despite repeated commitments to establish one in line with the Paris Principles of the United Nations. Several models of NHRIs are possible, but the Commissioner notes that the new body would have to align with the relevant standards, particularly regarding its mandate, autonomy, and resources.
Furthermore, while existing human rights bodies have been able to take meaningful action, their legal and institutional frameworks are not always conducive to ensuring independence and effectiveness and the Commissioner encourages the Italian Parliament to ensure that these principles are applied in respect of those bodies as well.
