Support is available to NHRIs with an Equality Body mandate, operating in a Council of Europe member state. 

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), the Secretariat of which is within the Anti-Discrimination Department of the Council of Europe’s Directorate General of Democracy and Human Dignity, is a unique human rights body which specialises in monitoring action against racism, intolerance and related discrimination in Europe. ECRI’s mandate covers all necessary measures to combat violence, discrimination and prejudice faced by persons or groups of persons, on grounds of “race”, colour, language, religion, citizenship, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristics. It prepares reports and issues recommendations to the 46 Member States of the Council of Europe.  

ECRI has a General Policy Recommendation (GPR) No. 2 – revised in 2017 – on “Equality Bodies to combat racism and intolerance at national level”. This GPR is addressed to governments of Member States (just as ECRI country monitoring reports and the recommendations contained therein). While Equality Bodies and NHRIs have different mandates, in some countries one institution has been tasked to carry out both functions/mandates. The GPR 2 refers to NHRIs explicitly in its Explanatory Memorandum (mainly on cooperation, mergers and similar: see §§ 27, 32 and 40). 

ECRI holds an annual seminar with Equality Bodies in which, depending on the chosen topic in a given year, problems of being “under threat” could be discussed – but this would be for Equality Bodies and not National Human Rights Institutions per se. During its country monitoring visits (on average, Council of Europe Member States are visited by ECRI every five years), ECRI usually meets with Equality Bodies, as well as with NHRIs if not the same body, including to receive first-hand information on the state of their independence and ability to carry out their work. 

If an NHRI also has the Equality Body mandate and is “under threat”, ECRI can refer to this in its country monitoring report and may, if appropriate, make a recommendation to the government in this respect. However, this support cannot be provided “upon request” as it is part of ECRI’s ongoing country-by-country monitoring work. 

• ECRI General Policy Recommendation (GPR) No. 2 – revised in 2017 – on “Equality Bodies to combat racism and intolerance at national level”.