A human rights commission, also known as a human relations commission, is a body set up to investigate, promote or protect human rights.
The term may refer to international, national or subnational bodies set up for this purpose, such as national human rights institutions or (usually temporary) truth and reconciliation commissions.
| Region | Commission | Note |
|---|---|---|
| United Nations (Universal) | United Nations Human Rights Council | Replaced the United Nations Commission on Human Rights; distinct from the UN Human Rights Committee |
| African Union (Africa) | African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights | |
| Organisation of American States (Americas) | Inter-American Commission on Human Rights | |
| Asia | ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) | |
| Asian Human Rights Commission | Non-governmental | |
| Council of Europe (Europe) | European Commission on Human Rights | 1954 to 1998; defunct |
| International Society for Human Rights | Non-governmental |
National and sub-national human rights commissions have been established in a number of countries for the promotion and protection of their citizens' human rights, and most commissions are public bodies but with some degree of independence from the state. In other countries the ombudsman performs that role. The commissions below are state-sponsored except where indicated.
| Country | Commission | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | National Consultative Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights | ||
| Bénin | Benin Human Rights Commission | ||
| Burkina Faso | National Human Rights Commission of Burkina Faso | ||
| Cameroon | National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms | ||
| Chad | Chad National Human Rights Commission | ||
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | National Human Rights Observatory | ||
| Egypt | National Council for Human Rights | ||
| Ethiopia | Ethiopian Human Rights Commission | ||
| Gabon | National Human Rights Commission | ||
| Ghana | Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice | ||
| Kenya | Kenya National Commission on Human Rights | Official body | |
| Kenya Human Rights Commission | NGO | ||
| Madagascar | National Human Rights Commission | ||
| Malawi | Malawi Human Rights Commission | ||
| Mali | Commission nationale consultative des droits de l’homme | ||
| Mauritania | Commissariat aux Droits de l’Homme, a la Lutte contre la Pauvreté et l’Insertion | ||
| Mauritius | National Human Rights Commission | ||
| Morocco | Human Rights Advisory Council | ||
| Niger | Nigérien National Commission on Human Rights and Fundamental Liberties | ||
| Nigeria | National Human Rights Commission | ||
| Rwanda | National Commission for Human Rights | ||
| Senegal | Senegalese Committee for Human Rights | ||
| Sierra Leone | Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone | ||
| South Africa | South African Human Rights Commission | ||
| Sudan | Southern Sudan Human Rights Commission | ||
| Tanzania | Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance | ||
| Togo | National Human Rights Commission | ||
| Tunisia | Higher Committee on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms | ||
| Uganda | Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) | ||
| Zambia | Permanent Human Rights Commission | ||
| Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) |
| Country | Commission | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | National Consultative Commission of Human Rights (France) | ||
| Great Britain (UK) | Equality and Human Rights Commission | See also Scotland | |
| Greece | National Human Rights Commission (Greece) | ||
| Ireland | Irish Human Rights Commission | ||
| Italy | Commissione per i Diritti Umani | ||
| Luxembourg | Consultative Commission of Human Rights (Luxembourg) | ||
| Netherlands | Equal Treatment Commission (Netherlands) | ||
| Northern Ireland (UK) | Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission | ||
| Scotland (UK) | Scottish Human Rights Commission | See also Great Britain | |
| Switzerland | Federal Commission against Racism (Switzerland) | ||
| Ukraine | Ombudsman in Ukraine | ||
| United Kingdom | Islamic Human Rights Commission | Non-governmental organization |