 | |
| Abbreviation | DIMR |
|---|---|
| Formation | 8 March 2001 |
| Legal status | registered association |
| Headquarters | Berlin |
| Leader | Beate Rudolf |
| Website | www.institut-fuer-menschenrechte.de |
TheGerman Institute for Human Rights (DIMR) is ahuman rights organisation based inBerlin. It was established as a registered association on 8 March 2001.[1] As anational human rights institution, the DIMR works based on theUnited Nations Paris Principles.[2] In May 2002, the organisation had approximately 130 full-time employees.[3] Since January 2010, the director of the institute has been Beate Rudolf.[4]
The Act on theLegal Status and Tasks of the German Institute for Human Rights has been in force since 2015.[5] According to the law and the statutes, it is politically independent, but its funding depends on the client (Bundestag) or thefederal budget. It is primarily financed by public funds from the federal budget, insofar as these are included in the budget of the German Bundestag, § 1 para. 1 sentence 2 DIMRG; third-party funds are raised for individual projects.[6]
TheBoard of Trustees sets the guidelines for the content of its work.
TheBoard of Directors are appointed every four years with no limitation to the amount of times a person can be re-elected. In March 2022, the SCA recommended that the reappointment be limited to one term.[7]
The Institute also supports and monitors the implementation of theUN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and theUN Convention on the Rights of the Child. To this end, it set up a monitoring centre in May 2009 and November 2015.[8] The Federal Government has entrusted the Institute with independent national reporting on theCouncil of EuropeConventions on combating trafficking in human beings and the exploitation of the prostitution of others and onpreventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention).[9][10]
In October 2015, the institute began a cooperation with the Columbian Defensoria del Pueblo and theNational Human Rights Institutions of Columbia and Germany in order to look into the human rights issues from coal mining businesses in Columbia.[11]
The mission is defined by the law and the statutes.[12][13] The Institute conducts interdisciplinary and application-oriented research on human rights issues and monitors the human rights situation in Germany. It reports annually to the German Bundestag[14] and prepares statements for national and international courts (so-calledamicus curiæ statements) and international human rights bodies.[15]
It works closely with the human rights bodies of theUnited Nations, the Council of Europe and theEuropean Union. The Institute is also a member of theGlobal Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions and theEuropean Network of National Human Rights Institutions. The Institute maintains a publicly accessible specialised library on human rights issues and publishes public relations work to promote human rights.[1] It is the largest collection in Germany on children’s rights, rights of persons with disabilities and human rights education. The head of the library is Anne Sieberns.[16]
Other tasks includepolitical consulting and informing the public about the human rights situation at national and international level.[1]
In 2014, the institute stated that theHeinrich Böll Foundation is the most important internationalLGBTI humans rights promoter in Germany.[17]
Every year the institute published a human rights report which is presented at theGerman Federal Press Conference.[18]
In December 2018, the institute released its third annual report which focused on the lack ofGerman labour laws and the continuing abuse tomigrant workers.[19] The report also identified the human rights concerns with regards to arms sales from Germany toSaudi Arabia and theUnited Arab Emirates.[20]
In May 2021, the German Institute for Human Rights and the Norwegian National Human Rights Institution published a paper on “Climate Change and Human Rights in the European Context”. It was drafted with contributions from Finland, France and Scotland.[21]
In 2024, the institute was re-accredited with A-status with regards to theParis Principles.[22][23]
Members of the board of trustees include Caroline Ausserer, Jochen von Bernstorff, Elise Bittenbinder, Matthias Boehning, Julia Duchrow, Oliver Ernst, Elke Ferner,Jonas Geissler, Uta Gerlant, Deborah Hartmann,Anetta Kahane, Lisa Kretschmer, Nora Markard,Nivedita Prasad, Pierre Thielbörger, Derya Türk-Neubaur, Sophia Wirsching and Antje Welke. The non-voting members includeLuise Amtsberg, Anke Domuradt, Jürgen Dusel,Natalie Pawlik, Sigrid Jacoby, Michael Maier-Borst, Johannes Sturm und Martin Wimmer.[24]