Nicaragua
National Assembly
Specialized body - Human rights
Commission for Peace, Defense, Governance and Human Rights
(March 1985)About
Nature
Permanent
Members
All Members | Below 45 years of age | |
---|---|---|
Total | 12 | 3 |
Men | 6 | 2 |
Women | 6 | 1 |
Political affiliation of members
Majority parties
10
Opposition parties
2
Chairperson(s)
Chair 1
Filiberto Jacinto
Rodríguez López
Chairperson: Sex
Male
Date of birth
16 Aug 1960
Political affiliation
Majority
Chairperson
Chairperson: Sex
Male
Age: Chairperson is below 45 years of age
No
Political affiliation
Majority
Committee functions
Mainstream human rights into the work of (other) parliamentary committees and of Parliament as a whole
Yes
Scrutinise all Bills for their compatibility with human rights
No
Scrutinise the Executive’s policy for compatibility with human rights
No
Obtain information from the Executive about the justification for actions or inaction which affect human rights
No
Scrutinise State compliance with existing UN human rights treaties
No
Initiate inquiries of its own choosing
Yes
Scrutinise proposed human rights treaties, and other international treaties with implications for human rights, and report to Parliament thereon, prior to ratification
Yes
Ascertain and review the Executive’s reasons for not acceding to or ratifying existing international human rights treaties
No
Scrutinise the Executive’s response to judgments of national, regional and international courts with implications for human rights
No
Monitor the adequacy of the existing national system for the protection of human rights
Yes
Review the allocation and expenditure of funds in the State budget to support measures to promote and protect human rights
No
Other important functions, please specify
Article 66 (Organic Law No. 606 of the National Assembly) establishes the functions of the Committee: 1) Amnesties and pardons; 2) Promotion and protection of men, women, boys and girls, against violations of their human rights; 3) Promotion and protection of vulnerable social sectors; 4) Promotion and protection of Humanitarian Law; 5) Army of Nicaragua and the National Police; 6) Ministry of Defense and Ministry of the Interior; 7) National Penitentiary System, Firemen, Directorate of Migration and Immigration and any other that is related; 8) Patriotic Symbols; 9) Granting and cancellation of legal personalities to non-profit civil associations; 1O) Citizen certificate; and 11) Civil Defence.
Committee involvement in international and national reporting mechanisms
Such as the UN Human Rights Council and its' Universal Periodic Review, the UN CEDAW Committee etc.
Consulted in the preparation of national report to the UN Human Rights Council
No
Included in the official delegation which orally presented the most recent national report to the Council
No
Discussed the conclusions and recommendations which the Council adopted as a result
No
Conducted hearings with the Executive about its plans to implement the conclusions and recommendations of the Human Rights Council
No
Committee powers
The Committee has the power to:
Propose amendments to legislation
Yes
Introduce bills into Parliament
Yes
Initiate parliamentary debates on its reports or on subjects of its choosing
Yes
Carry out inquiries
Yes
Hold oral evidence hearings
Yes
Compel witnesses to attend
Yes
Compel the production of documents and papers
Yes
Make recommendations to the Executive
No
Conduct visits, including visits abroad
Yes
Access places of detention without notice
Yes
Committee working methods
The Committee:
Adopts an annual or longer-term work plan
Yes
Publishes reports on its work on the parliamentary website
Yes
Usually reaches consensus on the issues on which it reports
Yes
Systematically follows up its reports and recommendations
Yes
Reports regularly to Parliament on its activities
Yes
Number of specialised staff to service committee
3
Cooperation and coordination
The Committee regularly cooperates and coordinates (e.g. through sharing of reports; meetings; joint follow-up action) with:
Other parliamentary committees
Always
Civil society organisations
Sometimes
National Human Rights Institution(s)
Often called “Commissions” and/or “Ombudspersons” in the area of human rights
Sometimes
Academic institutions, including research institutes on human rights and the rule of law
Sometimes
The media
Sometimes