The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) will today take over as chair of the Commonwealth Forum of National Human Rights Institutions.

The NIHRC will formally take over the role, previously played by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, in Malta today ahead of the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

The Commonwealth Forum of National Human Rights Institutions exists to promote networking, sharing of information, experiences and best practices between human rights institutions in the Commonwealth, complementing the work of the ICC and OHCHR.

Speaking earlier, Chief Commissioner Les Allamby said: “This is a great opportunity and great honour for the Commission to take up the Commonwealth Chair and is indicative of how Northern Ireland is regarded on the international stage.

“We hope to build on the work of our predecessor, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia. We also hope to progress existing work on conflict resolution, disability and equality issues.

“There is clearly a wealth of experiences and expertise between Commonwealth Members and we hope to use our new role as Chair to promote the sharing of best practice and to encourage countries to establish Paris Principle compliant National Human Rights Institutions.”