Human rights commission

A Human Rights Commission, also known as a human relations commission, is a body set up to investigate, promote or protect human rights.

The term may refer to international, national or subnational bodies set up for this purpose, such as national human rights institutions or (usually temporary) truth and reconciliation commissions.

International Human Rights Commissions

Region	Commission	Note
United Nations (Universal)	United Nations Human Rights Council	replaced the United Nations Commission on Human Rights; distinct from the UN Human Rights Committee
African Union (Africa)	African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
Organisation of American States (Americas)	Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Asia	ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR)
	Asian Human Rights Commission	non-governmental
Council of Europe (Europe)	European Commission on Human Rights	1954 to 1998; defunct
	International Society for Human Rights	non-governmental

National or subnational bodies

National and sub-national human rights commissions have been established in a number of countries for the promotion and protection of their citizens' human rights, and most commissions are public bodies but with some degree of independence from the state. In other countries the ombudsman performs that role. The commissions below are state-sponsored except where indicated.

Africa

Country	Commission	Note
Algeria	National Consultative Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights
Bénin	Benin Human Rights Commission
Burkina Faso	National Human Rights Commission of Burkina Faso
Cameroon	National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms
Chad	Chad National Human Rights Commission
Democratic Republic of the Congo	National Human Rights Observatory
Egypt	National Council for Human Rights
Ethiopia	Ethiopian Human Rights Commission
Gabon	National Human Rights Commission
Ghana	Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice	CHRAJ
Kenya	Kenya National Commission on Human Rights	Official body
	Kenya Human Rights Commission	NGO
Madagascar	National Human Rights Commission
Malawi	Malawi Human Rights Commission
Mali	Commission nationale consultative des droits de l’homme
Mauritania	Commissariat aux Droits de l’Homme, a la Lutte contre la Pauvreté et l’Insertion
Mauritius	National Human Rights Commission
Morocco	Human Rights Advisory Council
Niger	Nigérien National Commission on Human Rights and Fundamental Liberties
Nigeria	National Human Rights Commission
Rwanda	National Commission for Human Rights
Senegal	Senegalese Committee for Human Rights
Sierra Leone	Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone
South Africa	South African Human Rights Commission
Sudan	Southern Sudan Human Rights Commission
Tanzania	Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance
Togo	National Human Rights Commission
Tunisia	Higher Committee on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
Uganda	Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC)
Zambia	Permanent Human Rights Commission

Asia-Pacific

Country	Commission	Note
Afghanistan	Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission
Australia	Australian Human Rights Commission
	Australian Capital Territory Human Rights Commission
Bangladesh	Bangladesh Human Rights Commission
Fiji	Fiji Human Rights Commission	No longer ICC-accredited
Hong Kong		human rights complaints are referred here
India	National Human Rights Commission of India	Official body
	Kashmir Human Rights Commission	UK-based non-governmental organization
Indonesia	National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM)
Iran	Islamic Human Rights Commission
Jordan	National Centre for Human Rights
Korea, Republic of	National Human Rights Commission of Korea
Malaysia	Human Rights Commission of Malaysia
Maldives	Human Rights Commission of the Maldives
Mongolia	National Human Rights Commission (Mongolia)
Myanmar	Myanmar National Human Rights Commission
New Zealand	New Zealand Human Rights Commission
Nepal	National Human Rights Commission (Nepal)
Pakistan	Human Rights Commission of Pakistan	non-governmental organization
	Kashmir Human Rights Commission	UK-based non-governmental organization
Palestine	Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizen's Rights
Philippines	Commission on Human Rights (Philippines)
Qatar	National Committee for Human Rights (Qatar)
Sri Lanka	National Human Rights Commission (Sri Lanka)
Thailand	National Human Rights Commission (Thailand)

Europe

Country	Commission	Note
France	National Consultative Commission of Human Rights (France)
Great Britain (UK)	Equality and Human Rights Commission	see also Scotland
Greece	National Human Rights Commission (Greece)
Ireland	Irish Human Rights Commission
Italy	Commissione per i Diritti Umani
Luxembourg	Consultative Commission of Human Rights (Luxembourg)
Netherlands	Equal Treatment Commission (Netherlands)
Northern Ireland (UK)	Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
Scotland (UK)	Scottish Human Rights Commission	see also Great Britain
Switzerland	Federal Commission against Racism (Switzerland)
United Kingdom	Islamic Human Rights Commission	non-governmental organization

Americas

Country	Commission	Note
Canada	Canadian Human Rights Commission
	British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal	Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission
	Ontario Human Rights Commission
	Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission
	Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse	Québec
	Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission	Northwest Territories
Guatemala	Guatemala Human Rights Commission	US-based NGO
Mexico	National Human Rights Commission (Mexico)
Peru	National Human Rights Commission (Peru)
United States	United States Commission on Civil Rights
	Idaho Human Rights Commission
	Illinois Human Rights Commission
	Human Rights Commission of Salt Lake City
	San Francisco Human Rights Commission
	New York City Commission on Human Rights
	Seattle Human Rights Commission
	Sioux City Human Rights Commission
	Salem Oregon Human Rights & Relations Advisory Commission
	International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission	INGO
	Numerous municipal "human relations commissions"

See also

• Truth and reconciliation commission
• Ombudsman