Romanian Institute for Human Rights

ACT regarding the establishment of the Romanian Institute for Human Rights

The Parliament of Romania passes this Act.


ART. 1
The Romanian Institute for Human Rights shall be established as an independent body, located in Bucharest, having the status of legal person.
The Romanian Institute for Human Rights may set up branches.

ART. 2
The purpose of the Institute is to ensure better knowledge by the public bodies, the non-governmental associations and the Romanian citizens, of human rights issues, the way human rights are guaranteed in other countries, especially in the countries parties in the Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
At the same time, the purpose of the Institute is to inform the public opinion abroad, the international bodies, about the practical ways human rights are achieved and observed in Romania.

ART. 3
For the achievement of this purpose, the Institute shall mainly develop the following activities:
a) creation, maintaining and running for all users of a Documentation Center providing the texts of international conventions, laws, documents, essays and publications referring to human rights, as well as bibliographic references;
b) information of the public bodies, non-governmental organizations and citizens, particularly by disseminating the international documents, practices and procedures in the field of human rights, including translation thereof, when need be so;
c) organization of training programs, particularly addressing those categories of persons having special responsibilities for the protection of human rights or to ensure awareness of human rights issues amongst large categories of the population;
d) provision, on request or periodically, of information on the governmental and non-governmental efforts in Romania for the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as similar efforts in other countries, and Romania’s international commitments and the way they are fulfilled; e) provision of documentation, on request by the Parliament’s Committees, regarding human rights aspects in the drafts of laws and other matters examined by the Parliament;
f) performance of research work on various aspects of the promotion and protection of human rights in Romania and at the international level;
g) publication of a bulletin on human rights and a large distribution thereof, translations into foreign languages included;
h) organizarea de sondaje de opinie publică pe diferite aspecte, privind protecţia drepturilor omului în România.organization of polls on various aspects related to the protection of human rights in Romania.

ART. 4
The Institute’s services shall be open to all users. The texts of the basic documents and bibliographic references shall be distributed free of duty or for a price to cover just the reproduction costs.
The Institute shall be able to conduct research, on a contractual basis, with academic institutions or bodies and shall be entitled to give advisory opinion on request by specialized forums in Romania or from abroad. The taxes for such services shall be established by the Institute’s leaders.

ART. 5
The Institute shall be led by a General Board, including representatives of the parliamentary groups, members of the Senate’s Committee for Human and the Citizens’ Rights, members of the Chamber of Deputies’ Committee for Human Rights, Cults and National Minorities Issues, as well as scholars, and representatives of the non-governmental organizations in the field of human rights designated by the Standing Bureaus of the two Parliament Chambers and validated by the latter.
The General Board shall designate a Managing Board from among its members, made up of 7 persons: Parliament Members, scholars, representatives of the non-governmental organizations and the Executive Director.
The Managing Board shall ensure management of the Institute’s current activity. The Executive Director shall represent the Institute as a legal person, according to the effective regulations.
The Institute’s staff structure is the one provided for in the appendix, which is an integral part of the present act.

ART. 6
Periodically, the Institute shall organize other activities held in common with the non-governmental organizations in Romania, the Academy’s Research Institutes and other bodies activating in the field of human rights. It shall establish relationships of co-operation with the institutes for human rights or similar bodies in other countries, as well as international and regional organizations having activities in the field of human rights, and shall organize symposia and other events with domestic and international participation.

ART. 7
The Institute shall support, with the contribution of highly qualified specialists, the organization of courses on human rights in the main higher education institutions in the country. Personalities of the political life from various countries, experts well-known for their interest in the promotion of human rights at the international level may be invited to lecture at these courses.

ART. 8
The Institute shall organize its activity in compliance with its Standing Orders that shall be approved by the General Board. The Institute’s annual reports shall be submitted to Parliament for information purposes.

ART. 9
The Institute’s expenditures shall be covered from the Parliament’s budget.
To this end, the necessary funds shall be provided starting with January 1, 1991.
The Institute may accept voluntary contributions, donations, other duty-free gifts, as with any foundation.


ART. 10
After the first two years of the Institute’s activity, the managing bodies shall submit to Parliament a report on its activity and functioning, while particularly taking into account the evaluation by those who called for its services.