UNDP-OHCHR TOOLKIT Assembly, freedom of: The right to come together to address or promote common concerns. Freedom of assembly is guaranteed by Art. 21 ICCPR. It may be restricted in the interests of racial and religious harmony. Countries may require permission for assemblies by security forces without any reasonable basis being required for refusal. Certain assemblies and meetings are unduly restricted and or criminalized. For instance, it is illegal to join any group or person engaged in “terrorist” offences. Association, freedom of: The right to join others in a peaceful, common undertaking that is considered lawful when pursued individually. It includes the right to form trade unions. Freedom of association is protected by Art. 22(1) ICCPR. However, governments have criminalised meetings held by, or membership held in, particular groups. B-Status institution: A national institution may be afforded this accreditation status by the Bureau of the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions (ICC Bureau) when it is not fully in compliance with the Paris Principles or has not yet submitted sufficient documentation for the ICC Bureau to make that determination. B-Status institutions may participate as observers in the work and meetings of national institutions nationally and regionally. They cannot vote or hold office within the ICC Bureau or its Sub-Committees. They are not given NHRI badges, nor may they take the floor under agenda items and submit documentation in the HRC. Bureau of the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions (ICC Bureau): The Bureau that grants accreditation to a national institution. National Institutions may be afforded the following accreditation Statuses by the ICC Bureau: (1) “A status”: compliant with the Paris Principles; (2) “B status”; observer status - not fully in compliance with the Paris Principles or insufficient information provided to make a determination; and (3) “C status”; not compliant with the Paris Principles. C-Status institution: A national institution may be afforded this accreditation status by the Bureau of the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions (ICC Bureau) when it is non-compliant with the Paris Principles. C-Status institutions that have no rights or privileges with the Network or in UN rights fora. They may, at the invitation of the Chairperson of the Bureau, attend meetings of the ICC. xii Capacity assessment: Focuses on assessing the internal ability of the NHRI to do its work and, as a result, on the forward-looking opportunities for UNCT programming in areas where capacity is lacking. Capacity assessment is an evaluative process that can also “feed” into other evaluative process. Case management system: A mechanism that assists the NHRI in receiving, processing, investigating and tracking human rights complaints and investigations. Whether commissions have the capacity to receive individual complaints (as is the case for quasi-jurisdictional institutions) or to investigate human rights matters more generally, the objective is to establish clear, consistent and effective investigation mechanisms and to support the ability to provide recommendations to address human rights cases. Changed circumstances: Where the condition or situation of any NHRI becomes altered in a way that might affect its ability to comply with the Paris Principles, the NHRI is expected to inform the Chairperson of the ICC of such changes. Its accreditation will then be reviewed by the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA). If it the SCA Chairperson notices that the condition or situation of an NHRI has changed, he or she may independently initiate an accreditation review. For instance, the rise of a repressive regime or a coup may affect an NHRI’s ability to comply with the Paris Principles and could lead to accreditation review. Civil and political rights: The rights of all human beings to liberty and equality; sometimes referred to as first generation rights. Civil rights include freedom to worship, to think and express oneself, to vote, to take part in political life, and to have access to information. Civil and political rights are defended in a number of international instruments including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Civil law: A prominent legal system originating in the Roman Empire that remains influential in continental Europe and Latin America, among other regions. The law in a civilian system is often codified. The code precedes judgments and provides an interpretive framework for the legal system. Most civil law systems are “monist.” Civil society: Civil society refers to all groups outside government such as community groups, non-governmental organizations, labour unions, indigenous peoples’ organizations, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations and foundations. Civil society expresses the interests of social groups and