Commission nationale consultative des droits de l'homme

The Commission nationale consultative des droits de l'homme (National Consultative Commission on Human Rights, CNCDH) is a French governmental organization created in 1947 by an arrêté from the Foreign Affairs Ministry to control the respect of human rights in the country. It may acts as counsellor for the government and propose laws, and then survey the application of governmental measures and laws voted in Parliament. The CNCDH is placed under the authority of the Prime minister, who can seize it, but it may also auto-seized itself. The 1990 Gayssot Act charged it of making a yearly report on the state of racism in France.

It is composed of

• state representatives, for the Prime minister and for each 17 concerned Ministers
• one deputy named by the president of the National Assembly
• one senator named by the president of the Senate
• members of the Conseil d'Etat (State Counsel) and magistrates, which assured a juridical coherence to the CNCDH's advises
• one mediator of the Republic insuring relations between private persons and administrations
• representatives of 33 human rights NGOs
• representatives of trade unions confederations
• civil society personalities, representing for instance Catholic institutions, as well as Protestant, Muslim, Jewish, or university teachers, sociologists, etc.
• "experts" working in international bodies concerned with human rights issues

External links

• Official website (French)