The Estonian Chancellor of Justice has received, for the second time, the highest level of accreditation — A-status — as a national human rights institution, recognizing its continued independence and effectiveness in promoting and protecting human rights. This was the second round of accreditation, during which the Chancellor’s work was evaluated for compliance with the Paris Principles adopted by the UN General Assembly.

Since January 1, 2019, the Chancellor of Justice has served as Estonia’s National Human Rights Institution (NHRI). The institution’s work is reviewed every five years through an international accreditation process organized by the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA) of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI). The committee consists of four members representing human rights institutions from different regions of the world.

A-status grants the Chancellor of Justice the right to participate in and speak at the UN Human Rights Council and other international human rights forums. It also enables more active involvement in international human rights cooperation.

To obtain accreditation, the Chancellor had to complete an extensive questionnaire about activities over the past five years and respond to numerous follow-up questions. The final decision was made by the UN after the SCA held a meeting with staff from the Chancellor’s Office in Geneva in March of this year.

As part of the accreditation process, the SCA also provided some recommendations aimed at further strengthening the institution’s independence and effectiveness. Among other points, the committee emphasized the importance of ensuring adequate resources for fulfilling the institution’s mandate.