Terms of Reference

1. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee is the national institution in the Cayman Islands vested with competence to promote and protect human rights.
2. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee acknowledges the universality, indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights.
3. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee, however, respects the special importance of the International Bill of Rights and in particular, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenants on Human Rights.
4. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee also values other international and regional instruments for promoting respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
5. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee equally welcomes regional initiatives for the enhancement of human rights and fundamental freedoms, such as the Charter of Civil Society for the Caribbean Community.
6. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee is willing to contribute to the reports which the Government of the Cayman Islands and the Government of the United Kingdom are required to submit to United Nations bodies and committees, and to regional institutions, pursuant to their treaty obligations.
7. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee is, at the same time, dedicated to assisting in the development of appropriate national arrangements to ensure the effective implementation of international human rights standards.
8. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee is ready to work in partnership with the United Nations and other international and regional human rights organizations in the furtherance of its goals.
9. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee is also prepared to learn from the experiences of national institutions in other jurisdictions in order to improve its own performance.
10. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee may also consult with other bodies or persons interested in the promotion and protection of human rights.
11. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee undertakes to actively pursue the development of good relations with non-governmental organizations devoted to promoting and protecting human rights, to economic and social development and to protecting particularly vulnerable groups.
12. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee undertakes to implement human rights education for all and enhance the public awareness of human rights through the dissemination of human rights information and materials.
13. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee must meet on a regular and frequent basis and whenever necessary in the presence of all of its members.
14. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee may establish working groups from among its members as necessary.
15. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee seeks to be representative of and accessible to all aspects of civil society in the Cayman Islands.
16. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee believes that the promotion and protection of human rights in the Cayman Islands is best served by the Government working in partnership with the representatives of civil society through the Committee.
17. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee is dependent upon the freely expressed views of all of its members and, notwithstanding the appointment of members of Government and the Civil Service, the Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee is a nonaligned body committed to impartiality and objectivity.
18. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee is committed to responding to any and all violations of human rights.
19. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee functions as a focal point for the direction of any public human rights concerns and the individual members of the Committee should serve as a conduit for such concerns.
20. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee may freely consider any questions falling within its competence, whether they are submitted by the Government, or proposed by one of its members, either of their own volition or on behalf of an aggrieved party.
21. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee may examine any legislation and administrative provisions in force, as well as bills and proposals, and shall make such recommendations as it deems appropriate in order to ensure that these provisions conform to the fundamental principles of human rights; it shall, if necessary; recommend the adoption of new legislation, the amendment of legislation in force and the adoption or amendment of administrative measures.
22. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee may hear any person or request any information and any documents necessary for assessing situations falling within its competence.
23. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee is empowered to prepare reports on the national situation with regard to human rights, in general, and on more specific matters should the need arise.
24. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee may submit to the Government, Legislative Assembly and any other competent body, on an advisory basis, either at the request of the authorities concerned or through the exercise of its powers, opinions, recommendations, proposals and reports on any matters concerning the promotion and protection of human rights.
25. The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee may address public opinion directly or through any press organ, particularly in order to publicise its opinions or recommendations.

Last Updated: 2007-03-28