<Paris Principles+20 International Conference> was held by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (Chairperson Hyun Byung-Chul) on Friday, September 13, 2013, from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. at the Hotel President. Welcoming the 20th anniversary of the adoption of 'Principles relating to the Status of National Institutions' as well known as 'Paris Principles' which were drafted in Paris and adopted by the UN General Assembly, the Commission had the opportunity to review the meaning of the Paris Principles and explore the ways ahead.
With the keynote speeches by Mr. Mabedle Lourence MUSHWANA, the chairperson of the International Coordinating Committee (ICC), Ms. Rosslyn NOONAN, the former ICC chair, and leading experts in the field of human rights and national human rights institutions at the national and international level including former human rights ambassador Park, Kyeong-Seo and the chairperson of the Asia-Pacific Forum (APF), the conference served as an opportunity to find out about the present and the future of national human rights institutions.
After the Second World War, the United Nations, with the release of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 began to discuss the need for the establishment of national human rights institutions. As a result, the 'Paris Principles,' drafted in 1991, were officially adopted at the World Conference on Human Rights followed by the adoption at the UN General Assembly in 1993. For the last 20 years, number of NHRIs has increased from 10 to more than 103 with the 'Paris Principles' leading the way to establish NHRIs all around the world. The NHRCK was also founded in accordance with 'Paris Principles' in November 25, 2001.
The Paris Principles has become a major set of working principles defining the status and competence of NHRIs including extensive mandate and responsibilities, organizational structure, independence and diversity of its composition, operational model and role as quasi-judicial bodies.
This conference has proceeded in the following three sessions.
In the first session, with a presentation from Amara PONGSAPICH, the APF Chair, Park Kyeong-Seo, Korea's first Ambassador for Human Rights and current Chair of the Korea Center for United Nations Human Rights Policy has moderated a discussion on the meanings of the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Paris Principles.
In the second session, with a presentation from Vladlen STEFANOV, the Director of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR), Lee Yang-Hee, former Chair of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and current board member of the UNICEF has moderated a discussion on capacity building of NHRIs and their expanding role in international human rights mechanisms.
In the final session, with a presentation of Je Cheol-Ung, Professor at Hanyang University, Yang Hyun-Ah, Commissioner at the NHRCK and Professor at Seoul National University has moderated a discussion with the participation from the academia and the civil society on the issues of future plans for NHRIs.
This international conference was successful in looking back at the meaning of the 'Paris Principles' and national and international activities of NHRIs in the last 20 years and in discussing the direction toward which the NHRIs should be heading in the future.
