Taiwan’s parliament on Tuesday unanimously approved the long-awaited establishment of a national human rights commission (NHRC).
“After 20 years of effort, the enactment of a bill to set up a national human rights institution is comforting, even if the bill is a compromise,” Covenants and Conventions Watch president Huang Lih-song told dpa.
Huang observed that the Control Yuan National Human Rights Commission Organisation Act did not establish the new body as fully independent.
The NHRC will be set up as a 10-member commission as part of the 30-member Control Yuan, the investigative agency which monitors malfeasance in all branches of government.
According to the bill, the new body will be charged with ensuring the promotion and protection of constitutional and human rights in line with international standards.
It will have the authority to investigate and provide remedy for citizen petitions regarding cases of torture or other forms of infringement on human rights.
Its chairperson and vice-chairperson will be nominated by the president require confirmation by majority vote in the Legislative Yuan.
“This set-up is not entirely in accord with the Paris Principles for national human rights commissions, but further legislation will be proposed in the next session of the Legislative Yuan to ensure the independence of the commission,” Control Yuan commissioner Kao Yung-chang said.
