2. Why is accreditation important? Accreditation confers international acceptance of the NHRI and its compliance with the Paris Principles as well as its bona fides, which opens the door to participation in the work and decision-making of the International Coordinating Committee, as well as the work of the Human Rights Council and other United Nations bodies. For example, NHRIs accredited by the International Coordinating Committee as being in compliance with the Paris Principles may participate and address the Council in an independent capacity… It is important that the principle that only those national institutions deemed to be in compliance with the Paris Principles are able to address the Council be upheld.45 Failure to be accredited lets the world community know that a national institution is not fully independent or effective and, therefore, not entirely credible. An immediate benefit of the accreditation process is the issuance of recommendations by the SubCommittee on Accreditation, which in turn provide a solid basis for future efforts to strengthen the institution and engage the national authorities in this. By June 2010, 67 NHRIs were accredited by the International Coordinating Committee as being in compliance with the Paris Principles. 3. Who confers accreditation? According to the International Coordinating Committee’s Statute, its Sub-Committee on Accreditation is responsible for reviewing NHRI compliance with the Paris Principles, through an accreditation process (art. 1.1, see annex III below). The Sub-Committee on Accreditation reviews and analyses applications for accreditation and makes recommendations to the International Coordinating Committee’s Bureau on the applicant’s compliance with the Paris Principles. The Sub-Committee on Accreditation comprises one “A” status institution from each of the four regional groupings: Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, and Europe. Its members are appointed by the regional groupings for a renewable term of three years. The National Institutions and Regional Mechanisms Section of OHCHR supports the work of the Bureau and the Sub-Committee. Specifically, it produces summaries of the key issues concerning an applicant institution’s compliance with the Paris Principles that the Sub-Committee uses to arrive at its accreditation recommendations. These summaries are posted on the NHRI website46 when the decision on accreditation is taken. The Secretary-General’s annual reports to the Human Rights Council on the accreditation process are a further source of information. The Sub-Committee also develops general observations, as an ongoing task, on common or important interpretative issues regarding the Paris Principles. They are intended to constitute guidance for NHRIs on accreditation and on the implementation of the Paris Principles. They are also useful for NHRIs to press for the institutional changes necessary to comply with the Paris Principles (see annex IV). 4. How is accreditation decided? Articles 10 and 11 of the International Coordinating Committee’s statute cover accreditation, in particular (see annex III below). They provide that: Any NHRI seeking accreditation shall apply to the Committee’s Chair and provide the following supporting documentation: 45 46 A/HRC/4/91, para. 15. www.nhri.net. 46