Recognising the lack of a forum from which to set human rights standards and promote them in the Commonwealth countries despite their sharing a common set of values and legal principles, the following professional associations set up CHRI in 1987 in the United Kingdom:
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) joined this group in 1996 followed by the Commonwealth Press Union (CPU) in 1999 and the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) in 2001. The CTUC and the CMA have since disbanded.
In order to democratise the international human rights discourse by enabling civil society voices based in the Global South to be heard internationally, CHRI was set up as a separate legal entity in New Delhi- the national capital of the world’s largest democracy and the biggest Commonwealth Member State. Distinguished jurist and former Attorney General of India, the late Mr. Soli Sorabjee, was instrumental in establishing CHRI in India in 1993. CHRI is registered as an independent, non-partisan, non-governmental organisation under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and subject to the applicable laws, rules and regulations in India.
Mr. Sorabjee was the first chairperson of CHRI’s Executive Committee in India and presided over a distinguished board which included the late Mr. B G Verghese (former Editor, Hindustan Times and The Indian Express), the late Mr. Kuldip Nayar (former Member of Parliament and former High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom), the late Dr. Vasudha Dhagamwar (Founder-Director Multiple Action Research Group- MARG, New Delhi) Dr. Ashis Nandy (former Director, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi), the late Dr. Vina Mazumdar (Secretary of the first Committee on the Status of Women in India), and Mr. P H Parekh (Padma Shri and Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India).
A series of stakeholder consultations we held since inception convinced us of the value of focussing our energies on two major areas – Access to Information and Access to Justice – while at the same time, leaving ourselves open to respond to emergent issues. This ensures an ever-deepening programme of work for us in these seminal areas.
In 2001, CHRI-Africa was established in Accra as an independent company limited by guarantee under Ghana’s laws to work for the promotion and protection of human rights in Commonwealth Africa. CHRI-UK continues to operate in London as an independent public charity.
