Debbie Kohner, ENNHRI Secretary General, spoke on 8 November in Rome at a Conference on the human rights framework held in Chamber of Deputies of Italian Parliament. Under the title “Crime of Torture and National Independent Commission: is Italy still credible in the field of human rights”, representatives of Italian state ministries, academia, international organisations and civil society discussed their work towards the establishment of a National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) in Italy.

“The creation of a Paris Principles-compliant NHRI shows that Italy is taking all of its human rights commitments seriously. The effective functioning of such an institution would also impact on all other human rights, as NHRIs have a broad mandate to work towards the implementation of all international human rights standards” said Debbie Kohner.

She addressed the various ways in which an NHRI could assist Italy in fulfilling its international commitments, and respecting human rights for individuals in the country. She also set out the key requirements for all NHRIs, under the UN Paris Principles, , and explained how ENNHRI could provide assistance to the Italian authorities and civil society in relation to the establishment of an NHRI in Italy.

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