National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) are autonomous public bodies established at the national level by the State to promote and protect human rights. The Paris Principles were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 December 1993. They define the role, composition, status and functions of National Human Rights Institutions.
According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR, in “National Human Rights Institutions – History, Principles, Roles and Responsibilities”), the Paris Principles “are broadly accepted as the test of an institution’s legitimacy and credibility, and have become part of the human rights lexicon.”