Act on the Icelandic Human Rights Institute
The role of the Icelandic Human Rights Institute is defined in Act No. 88/2024, but the law in its entirety can be accessed on the Althingi website. An informal translation of the law can be found here (PDF).
According to Article 1 of the Act, the main role of the Icelandic Human Rights Institute is to promote and protect human rights in Iceland, as defined in the Constitution, laws, international human rights conventions and other international obligations.
Statutory tasks
According to Article 2 of the Act, the Human Rights Institute shall work to ensure that public authorities and private actors respect human rights in all areas of society.
The institute's tasks include the following:
- Providing advice to public authorities, and as appropriate to private actors, on the promotion and protection of human rights.
- Monitoring the implementation of national legislation and international human rights obligations and, where relevant, providing recommendations concerning ratification of, or accession to, international instruments aimed at enhancing human rights protection.
- Examining the human rights situation in the country, drawing the attention of the Parliament and public authorities to potential human rights violations, and making recommendations for improvement.
- Cooperating with domestic, foreign, and international Institutes and organizations active in the field of human rights and promoting coordination.
- Submitting reports to international human rights monitoring bodies..
- Encouraging, supporting, and participating in research, education, and public discourse on human rights.
- Offering individuals guidance, information, and assistance in human rights matters, including on domestic and international complaints mechanisms.
The Icelandic Human Rights Institute also monitors the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and carries out rights protection for persons with disabilities.
The Human Rights Institute does not directly deal with individual cases, but all individuals can contact the Institute for advice, guidance and, where appropriate, assistance. Furthermore, information from individuals can provide important information about the state of human rights and possibly lead to further examination by the Institute.
At the bottom of each page are links to Iceland's reports on the implementation of the relevant agreement and to the comments of monitoring bodies.
The main role of the organization
The main role of the Icelandic Human Rights Institute is to promote and protect human rights in Iceland, as defined in the Constitution of the Republic, National Act No. 88/2024, and the international agreements to which Iceland has acceded.
Questions & Answers
Does it cost to contact the Icelandic Human Rights Institute?
No, all advice, information and assistance provided by the Icelandic Human Rights Institute is free of charge to the public.
Does the agency accept complaints and make judgments in individual cases?
The Human Rights Institute is not a court or adjudicator and therefore does not make binding decisions in individual cases between parties. However, we provide guidance and help people direct their cases to the appropriate authorities. The Institute also monitors systemic human rights problems and can make recommendations to governments.
What is the difference between the Icelandic Human Rights Institute and the Parliamentary Ombudsman?
The Parliamentary Ombudsman supervises the administration of state and local governments and ensures that equality and the law are observed. The Human Rights Institute, however, has a much broader role, which includes the promotion of human rights in general in society, education, international relations and special protection of the rights of people with disabilities. However, the institutions work closely together.
What are the Paris Agreements?
The Paris Principles are international rules of the United Nations that govern how national human rights institutions should operate. They ensure that the institutions are independent of government, have a clear legal mandate, are financially secure, and can speak freely about the human rights situation in the country in question.
