OSCE/ODIHR Opinion on the Draft Amendments to the Act on Establishment of the
Slovak National Centre for Human Rights
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 3
II. SCOPE OF REVIEW ................................................................................... 3
III. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................... 4
IV. ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................... 5
1. International Standards on National Human Rights Institutions .............................. 5
2. General Comments and Purpose of the Draft Amendments ...................................... 7
3. Mandate ........................................................................................................................... 8
3.1
Explicit Human Rights Mandate ...................................................................................... 8
3.2
Specific Functions of the SNCHR................................................................................... 10
3.4
Annual Report ................................................................................................................ 11
3.5
Exclusion of the Intelligence Services from the Mandate of the SNCHR ....................... 12
4. Funding .......................................................................................................................... 13
4.1.
Appropriate Levels of Funding ...................................................................................... 13
4.2.
Financial Autonomy ....................................................................................................... 15
4.3
Donor Funding ............................................................................................................... 17
5. The Leadership ............................................................................................................. 17
5.1.
Appointment and Selection of the Board ........................................................................ 17
5.2
Composition and Membership Requirements of the Board........................................... 20
5.3
Term of Office and Termination of the Board ................................................................ 21
5.4
Compensation and Full-Time Membership of the Board ............................................... 22
5.5
The Director ................................................................................................................... 23
5. Lawmaking Process ...................................................................................................... 25
6. Issues not Addressed in the Draft Law ....................................................................... 26
6.1
Functional Immunity ...................................................................................................... 26
6.2
Staffing ........................................................................................................................... 27
Annex:
Draft Act of the National Council of the Slovak Republic on Establishment of
the Slovak National Centre for Human Rights
2