The Government Council for Human Rights is a permanent advisory body for the
government in the field of the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The Council was established by a Government decree
The Council monitors the compliance with the Constitution of the Czech Republic, the
Charter of fundamental rights and freedoms, international conventions on human rights and
fundamental freedoms which are binding to the Czech Republic as well as other laws laying
down the protection and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Council
works towards raising the general awareness of human rights and ways of their protection.
Council monitors the domestic performance of international obligations of the Czech
Republic in the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. In particular, it
monitors obligations arising under certain international covenants.
1. it prepares for the government, proposals concerning policy concepts in different areas
of human rights protection, drafts partial measures and incentives to improve the
respect for human rights; either from its own initiative or as a task issued to the
Council by the government or to the Government Commissioner for human rights,
2. adopts opinions on the proposals of the government, ministerial and other measures
concerning the protection and respect for human rights,
3. it co-operates with non-governmental non-profit organizations involved in human
rights and with local government bodies,
4. the Council members as well as specialized committees and working groups of the
Council and their members may within the limits of the Council powers request
information and opinions from the central authorities of the state administration
including those not represented in the Council, from other bodies of the state
administration and from the organizations and institutions subordinated to state
administration bodies. This is without prejudice to the provisions of special
regulations,
In cooperation with central authorities of the state administration and non-governmental non-
profit organizations, the Council through the President of the Council is involved in the
performance of the government's commitments to report on the compliance with international
treaties.
The Council proposals pursuant to this article are submitted by the Council through the
member of the cabinet responsible for the work of the Council to the government for
discussion or to responsible members of the government and other central bodies of the
state administration.
Composition of the Council
(1) The Council has 20 members, a president and a vice-president. The number of the
members of the Council ­ representatives of central authorities of the state administration is
equal to the number of the members of the Council ­ representatives of civil and lay public
and the academia involved in the protection and respect for human rights and fundamental
freedoms and seeking to increase general awareness of human rights and ways of their
protection.
The President of the Council is appointed and recalled by the government; The President is
the government commissioner for human rights.
The Vice-president of the Council is the deputy director of the department of human rights
with the Office of the Government. The Head of the Government Office appoints him Deputy
Director of the department on the recommendation of the President of the Council. The
members of the Council ­ representatives of central authorities of the state administration and
their permanent substitutes are appointed and recalled by the President of the Council on the
recommendation of the responsible ministry. The members of the Council are:
deputies: of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Interior, Labour and Social Affairs,
Education, Youth and Sports, Culture, Health, Local Development, Information Technologies
and the Chief Inspector for human rights with the Ministry of Defence,
Representatives of civil, professional and the academic public involved in human rights and
fundamental freedoms issue and seeking to raise the general awareness of human rights and
their protection.
Members of the Council
The members of the Council participate at the Council meetings in person or through their
permanent substitutes.
The members of the Council submit to the Council proposals and are involved in the Council
deliberations. Members of the Council may also participate in the meetings of Committees
and working groups.
The Committees of the Council
The Council establishes standing Committees as required. External experts may be invited to
work on a Committee.
The members of a committee are appointed by the President of the Council on
recommendation of the Committee. The work of the Committee is supported by the
Committee Secretary ­ a member of the Council Secretariat.
(3) The Council has the following Committees in particular:
a) The Committee for Civil and Political Rights,
b) The Committee for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,
c) The Committee for Eliminating all Forms of Racism,
d) The Committee Against Torture and other Inhuman, Cruel and Degrading Treatment or
Punishment,
e) The Committee for the Rights of the Child,
f) The Committee for Eliminating all forms of Discrimination Against Women,
g) The Committee for the Rights of Foreigners,
h) The Committee for Human Rights Education,
i) The Committee for Human Rights and Biomedicine.
(4) In particular the Committees will,
a) submit motions to the Council for increasing the level of the status and upholding of human
rights in the Czech Republic,
b) Will have a share in the drafting of reports for the control mechanisms of the international
agreements on human rights, via its secretaries,
c) draft motions for the Council for partial and systemic measures for increasing the status and
upholding of human rights in the Czech Republic.
External Co-operation
The council may request co-operation from state administration employees who are not
members of the Council or from external experts (hereafter only "Experts").
Council Secretariat
The Council's activities (including the activities of the committees and working groups) is
carried out by the Council Secretariat (hereafter only the "Secretariat"), which is an
organisational part of the Office of the Government.
In particular, the Secretariat will,
a) carry out the Council's activities administratively and organisationally,
b) collate the material and information necessary for the council's activities,
c) draft expert materials for Council meetings based on the President's instructions,
d) up-date the information on the Council and its members which is published on the Internet.
The Director of the Secretariat will manage and be responsible for the Secretariats tasks being
carried out. The director of the Secretariat is appointed and recalled by the Minister and Head
of the office of the Government, on the proposal of the council President.