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Parliamentary committees for human rights

Background Information

For the purpose of this survey, we only consider as parliamentary human rights committees:

Committees which have “human rights” or other words with a similar meaning in their title. Examples include: “Human Rights Committee”, “Committee on Fundamental Freedoms”, “Committee on Constitutional Affairs and Human Rights”, Committee on Human Rights and National Minorities”, “Committee on Civil Liberties and Justice” etc.
Committees which do not have “human rights” or other words with a similar meaning in their title, but which are competent, as explicitly mentioned in their mandate, to address human rights.

Note: In a bicameral Parliament where both houses have a parliamentary committee on human rights, the present questionnaire should filled twice, once for each Committee.

1. Country: *This question is required.

2. Name of the person completing this questionnaire: *This question is required.

3. Email: *This question is required. This question requires a valid email address.

4. Job title: *This question is required.

5. Telephone: *This question is required.

6. Name of the Committee: *This question is required.

7. Nature: *This question is required.

8. Date of Creation:

Month (MM)
Year (YYYY)

9. Related to chambers:

10. Members

Number of members of the Committee:
Note: at the time of the most recent parliamentary elections

Space Cell	All Members	Below 45 years of age
Total	Total: All Members	Total: Below 45 years of age
Men	Men: All Members	Men: Below 45 years of age
Women	Women: All Members	Women: Below 45 years of age
Other	Other: All Members	Other: Below 45 years of age

11. Political affiliation of members:

Space Cell	All Members
Majority parties	Majority parties: All Members
Opposition parties	Opposition parties: All Members
Independent	Independent: All Members

12. Name of Chairperson (First name, Family name):

13. Sex of Chair:

14. Date of birth (DD.MM.YYYY) of Chair: This question requires a valid date format of DD/MM/YYYY.

calendar

15. Political affiliation of Chair:

Functions, powers and working methods

16. Number of specialised staff to service committee: This question requires a valid number format.

17. Committee functions

The Committee has the following functions:

Space Cell	Yes	No
Mainstream human rights into the work of (other) parliamentary committees and of Parliament as a whole	Mainstream human rights into the work of (other) parliamentary committees and of Parliament as a whole: Yes	Mainstream human rights into the work of (other) parliamentary committees and of Parliament as a whole: No
Scrutinise all Bills for their compatibility with human rights	Scrutinise all Bills for their compatibility with human rights: Yes	Scrutinise all Bills for their compatibility with human rights: No
Scrutinise the Executive’s policy for compatibility with human rights	Scrutinise the Executive’s policy for compatibility with human rights : Yes	Scrutinise the Executive’s policy for compatibility with human rights : No
Obtain information from the Executive about the justification for actions or inaction which affect human rights	Obtain information from the Executive about the justification for actions or inaction which affect human rights: Yes	Obtain information from the Executive about the justification for actions or inaction which affect human rights: No
Scrutinise State’s compliance with existing UN human rights treaties. (The list of core UN human rights treaties are listed in the annex)	Scrutinise State’s compliance with existing UN human rights treaties. (The list of core UN human rights treaties are listed in the annex): Yes	Scrutinise State’s compliance with existing UN human rights treaties. (The list of core UN human rights treaties are listed in the annex): No
Initiate inquiries of its own choosing	Initiate inquiries of its own choosing : Yes	Initiate inquiries of its own choosing : No
Scrutinise proposed human rights treaties, and other international treaties with implications for human rights, and report to Parliament thereon, prior to ratification	Scrutinise proposed human rights treaties, and other international treaties with implications for human rights, and report to Parliament thereon, prior to ratification: Yes	Scrutinise proposed human rights treaties, and other international treaties with implications for human rights, and report to Parliament thereon, prior to ratification: No
Ascertain and review the Executive’s reasons for not acceding to or ratifying existing international human rights treaties	Ascertain and review the Executive’s reasons for not acceding to or ratifying existing international human rights treaties : Yes	Ascertain and review the Executive’s reasons for not acceding to or ratifying existing international human rights treaties : No
Scrutinise the Executive’s response to judgments of national, regional and international courts with implications for human rights	Scrutinise the Executive’s response to judgments of national, regional and international courts with implications for human rights: Yes	Scrutinise the Executive’s response to judgments of national, regional and international courts with implications for human rights: No
Monitor the adequacy of the existing national system for the protection of human rights	Monitor the adequacy of the existing national system for the protection of human rights: Yes	Monitor the adequacy of the existing national system for the protection of human rights: No
Review the allocation and expenditure of funds in the State budget to support measures to promote and protect human rights	Review the allocation and expenditure of funds in the State budget to support measures to promote and protect human rights : Yes	Review the allocation and expenditure of funds in the State budget to support measures to promote and protect human rights : No

Other important functions, please specify:

18. Committee involvement in the most recent review of the national human rights situation by the UN Human Rights Council under its Universal Periodic Review (under which it monitors the human rights situation in each UN Member State every four years or so).

The Committee:

Space Cell	Yes	No
Was consulted in the preparation of the most recent national report to the UN Human Rights Council	Was consulted in the preparation of the most recent national report to the UN Human Rights Council : Yes	Was consulted in the preparation of the most recent national report to the UN Human Rights Council : No
Was included in the official delegation which orally presented the most recent national report to the Council	Was included in the official delegation which orally presented the most recent national report to the Council : Yes	Was included in the official delegation which orally presented the most recent national report to the Council : No
Discussed the conclusions and recommendations which the Council adopted as a result	Discussed the conclusions and recommendations which the Council adopted as a result : Yes	Discussed the conclusions and recommendations which the Council adopted as a result : No
Conducted hearings with the Executive about its plans to implement these conclusions and recommendations	Conducted hearings with the Executive about its plans to implement these conclusions and recommendations : Yes	Conducted hearings with the Executive about its plans to implement these conclusions and recommendations : No

19. Committee powers

The Committee has the power to:

Space Cell	Yes	No
Propose amendments to legislation	Propose amendments to legislation : Yes	Propose amendments to legislation : No
Introduce bills into Parliament	Introduce bills into Parliament : Yes	Introduce bills into Parliament : No
Initiate parliamentary debates on its reports or on subjects of its choosing	Initiate parliamentary debates on its reports or on subjects of its choosing: Yes	Initiate parliamentary debates on its reports or on subjects of its choosing: No
Carry out inquiries	Carry out inquiries : Yes	Carry out inquiries : No
Hold oral evidence hearings	Hold oral evidence hearings : Yes	Hold oral evidence hearings : No
Compel witnesses to attend	Compel witnesses to attend : Yes	Compel witnesses to attend : No
Compel the production of documents and papers	Compel the production of documents and papers : Yes	Compel the production of documents and papers : No
Make recommendations to the Executive	Make recommendations to the Executive : Yes	Make recommendations to the Executive : No
Conduct visits, including visits abroad	Conduct visits, including visits abroad : Yes	Conduct visits, including visits abroad : No
Access places of detention without notice	Access places of detention without notice : Yes	Access places of detention without notice : No

20. Committee working methods

The Committee:

Space Cell	Yes	No
Adopts an annual or longer-term work plan	Adopts an annual or longer-term work plan : Yes	Adopts an annual or longer-term work plan : No
Publishes reports on its work on the parliamentary website	Publishes reports on its work on the parliamentary website : Yes	Publishes reports on its work on the parliamentary website : No
Usually reaches consensus on the issues on which it reports	Usually reaches consensus on the issues on which it reports: Yes	Usually reaches consensus on the issues on which it reports: No
Systematically follows up its reports and recommendations	Systematically follows up its reports and recommendations : Yes	Systematically follows up its reports and recommendations : No
Reports regularly to Parliament on its activities	Reports regularly to Parliament on its activities : Yes	Reports regularly to Parliament on its activities : No

21. Cooperation and coordination

The Committee regularly cooperates and coordinates (e.g. through sharing of reports; meetings; joint follow-up action) with:

Space Cell	Always	Often	Sometimes	Never
Other parliamentary committees	Other parliamentary committees : Always	Other parliamentary committees : Often	Other parliamentary committees : Sometimes	Other parliamentary committees : Never
Civil society organisations	Civil society organisations: Always	Civil society organisations: Often	Civil society organisations: Sometimes	Civil society organisations: Never
National Human Rights Institution(s) (often called “Commissions” and/or “Ombudspersons” in the area of human rights)	National Human Rights Institution(s) (often called “Commissions” and/or “Ombudspersons” in the area of human rights): Always	National Human Rights Institution(s) (often called “Commissions” and/or “Ombudspersons” in the area of human rights): Often	National Human Rights Institution(s) (often called “Commissions” and/or “Ombudspersons” in the area of human rights): Sometimes	National Human Rights Institution(s) (often called “Commissions” and/or “Ombudspersons” in the area of human rights): Never
Academic institutions, including research institutes on human rights	Academic institutions, including research institutes on human rights: Always	Academic institutions, including research institutes on human rights: Often	Academic institutions, including research institutes on human rights: Sometimes	Academic institutions, including research institutes on human rights: Never
The media	The media : Always	The media : Often	The media : Sometimes	The media : Never

Contact information for the Committee

22. Phone: *This question is required.

23. Email: *This question is required. This question requires a valid email address.

24. Web site: *This question is required.

25. Data valid as at: *This question is required. This question requires a valid date format of DD/MM/YYYY.

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Annex: The main core UN human rights treaties

The main core UN human rights treaties:

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (adoption in 1966; entry into force in 1976);

The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (adoption in 1966; entry into force in 1976);

The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD; adoption in 1965; entry into force in 1969);

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW; adoption in 1979; entry into force in 1981);

The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT; adoption in 1984; entry into force in 1987);

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC; adoption in 1989; entry into force in 1990);

The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (known as the Migrant Workers Convention, or ICRMW; adoption in 1990; entry into force in 2003);

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD; adoption in 2006, entry into force in 2008);

The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CED; adoption in 2006, entry into force in 2010)