Global list of National Human Rights Institutions specifically for children

This is a list of national human rights institutions specifically for children or with departments or deputies with a mandate that explicitly covers children. Links are provided to the official websites of the organisations where available.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, Children’s Rights Protection Unit.

http://www.aihrc.org.af/

Albania

People’s Advocate (Subsection for Children’s Rights)

http://www.avokatipopullit.gov.al/

Argentina

Defensoría del Pueblo de la Nación (Jefe Área Derechos Humanos, Mujer, Niñez y Adolescencia)

http://www.dpn.gob.ar/index.php

Defensor de Derechos de Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes

Regional Children’s Ombudspersons (Defensor de Derechos de Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes) in Córdoba Province, Corrientes Province, Misiones Province, Neuquén Province.

Armenia

Office of the Human Rights Defender (Defender of Children’s Rights)

http://www.pashtpan.am/

Australia

Australian Human Rights Commission (National Children’s Commissioner)

http://www.humanrights.gov.au/

Australian Capital Territory Human Rights Commission (ACT Children and Young People Commissioner)

http://hrc.act.gov.au/

New South Wales Commission for Children and Young People

http://www.acyp.nsw.gov.au/

New South Wales Children’s Guardian

http://www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/

Northern Territory Children’s Commissioner

http://www.childrenscommissioner.nt.gov.au/

Queensland Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian

South Australia Guardian for Children and Young People

http://www.gcyp.sa.gov.au/

Tasmania Commissioner for Children

http://www.childcomm.tas.gov.au/

Victoria Child Safety Commissioner

http://www.ccyp.vic.gov.au/

Western Australia (WA) Commissioner for Children and Young People

https://www.ccyp.wa.gov.au/

Austria

Regional Ombudspersons for Children and Youth (Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Upper Austria, Vienna, Vorarlberg).

Azerbaijan

Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Child Rights Centre)

http://www.ombudsman.gov.az/az/

Belgium

Children’s Rights Commissioner (Flemish Community)

https://www.kinderrechten.be/

Délégué général de la Communauté française aux droits de l’enfant

http://www.dgde.cfwb.be/

Bhutan

National Commission for Women and Children (an autonomous agency of the government of Bhutan)

http://www.ncwc.gov.bt/en/

Bolivia

Defensoría del Pueblo (Adjuntia para Niñez y Adolescencia)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Human Rights Ombudsman (Department for the Protection of the Rights of the Child)

http://www.ombudsmen.gov.ba/Jezik.aspx

Ombudsman for Children of the Republic of Srpska

http://www.djeca.rs.ba/

Bulgaria

The Office of the Ombudsman (Rights of Children, Disabled and Against Discrimination)

http://www.ombudsman.bg/

Canada

Regional Offices of the Child and Youth Advocate in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Québec, Saskatchewan, Yukon.

Colombia

Defensoría del Pueblo (Defensoría Delegada para los Derechos de la Niñez, la Juventud y las Mujeres)

http://www.defensoria.gov.co/

Costa Rica

Defensoría de los Habitantes (Dirección de Niñez y Adolescencia)

http://www.dhr.go.cr/index2.html

Croatia

Ombudsman for Children

http://www.dijete.hr/

Cyprus

Commissioner for Children’s Rights

http://www.childcom.org.cy/ccr/ccr.nsf/DMLindex_gr/DMLindex_gr?OpenDocument

Denmark

National Council for Children

http://www.boerneraadet.dk/

Dominican Republic

Defensor del Pueblo (Defensor Adjunto para la Niñez y la Juventud)

Ecuador

Defensoría del Pueblo (Defensoría Adjunta de la Mujer y de la Niñez)

El Salvador

Procuraduría para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (Procuraduría Adjunta para la Defensa de los Derechos de la Niñez y la Juventud)

http://www.pddh.gob.sv/

Estonia

Chancellor of Justice (Ombudsman for Children)

http://www.oiguskantsler.ee/et/laste-ja-noorte-%C3%B5igused/

Ethiopia

Ethiopian Institution of the Ombudsman (Ombudsman for Women and Children).

http://www.ethombudsman.gov.et/

Finland

Ombudsman for Children

http://www.lapsiasia.fi/

France

Défenseur des Droits (Défenseur des enfants)

http://www.defenseurdesdroits.fr/

Georgia

Public Defender (Child’s and Women’s Rights Centre)

http://www.ombudsman.ge/ge/

Ghana

Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (no specific children’s rights department, but the human rights division action plan focuses on the rights of vulnerable groups, including children, women and people living with HIV/AIDs).

http://www.chrajghana.com/

Greece

Greek Ombudsman (Deputy Ombudsman for Children’s Rights)

http://www.0-18.gr/

Guatemala

Procuraduría de los Derechos Humanos (Defensoría de la Niñez y la Adolescencia)

http://www.pdh.org.gt/

Guyana

Human Rights Commission (Rights of the Child Commission).

Honduras

Comisionado Nacional de Derechos Humanos (Programa Especial de Derechos Humanos de la Niñez y la Adolescencia)

http://conadeh.hn/

Hungary

Commissioner for Fundamental Rights (Deputy-Commissioner for Fundamental Rights (Future Generations))

http://www.ajbh.hu/

Iceland

Ombudsman for Children

https://www.barn.is/

Ireland

Ombudsman for Children

https://www.oco.ie/

India

National Commission for Protection of Children’s Rights

http://ncpcr.gov.in/

Indonesia

Komnas HAM - National Human Rights Commission (Sub-Commission for the Protection of the Rights of Children)

https://www.komnasham.go.id/

Italy

National Ombudsman for Children and Adolescents

Jamaica

Office of the Children’s Advocate

http://www.ocajamaica.gov.jm/

Japan

City based Ombudspersons for Children exist in Kawanishi, Saitama Prefecture, Tajimi City, Akita Prefecture, Shime Town, Nabari City, Meguro City, Toyota CIty, Sapporo CIty, Chikuzen Town.

Kosovo

Ombudsperson (Children’s Rights Team)

Kyrgyzstan

Office of the Ombudsman (Young People and Children’s Rights Protection Department)

http://www.ombudsman.kg/

Latvia

Ombudsman (Department for Children’s Rights)

http://www.tiesibsargs.lv/

Liechtenstein

Ombudsperson for Children

http://www.oskj.li/

Lithuania

Ombudsperson for Children

http://www3.lrs.lt/pls/inter/vaikai

Luxembourg

Ombuds-Comité pour les Droits de l'Enfant

http://ork.lu/index.php/fr/

Macedonia (FYRO)

Ombudsman (Department for Protection of Children’s Rights, headed by a Deputy Ombudsman)

Malawi

Human Rights Commission (Child Rights Unit and Child Rights Committee)

Malta

Office of the Commissioner for Children

http://tfal.org.mt/en/Pages/default.aspx

Mauritania

Commission Nationale de Droits de l’Homme (Children’s Rights Unit)

Mauritius

Ombudsperson for Children’s Office

Mexico

Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos (Programa sobre Asuntos de la Niñez y la Familia)

http://www.cndh.org.mx/

Moldova

Center for Human Rights (Ombudsman for Children’s Rights)

Mongolia

National Human RIghts Commission (Commissioner with specific mandate on children’s rights)

http://www.mn-nhrc.org/

Montenegro

Ombudsman- Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms (Deputy Ombudsman for Children)

http://www.ombudsman.co.me/

Nepal

National Human Rights Commission (Child Rights Desk)

http://www.nhrcnepal.org/

Netherlands

National Ombudsman (Deputy Ombudsman for Children)

http://www.dekinderombudsman.nl/

New Zealand

Office of the Children’s Commissioner

www.occ.org.nz

Nicaragua

Procuraduría para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (Procuraduría Especial de la Niñez y la Adolescencia)

Nigeria

National Human Rights Commission (Special Rapporteur on Child Rights)

Norway

Ombudsman for Children

http://barneombudet.no/

Pakistan

National Ombudsman

Provincial Ombudsman - Sindh (Children Complaints Office)

http://www.mohtasibsindh.gov.pk/index.php

Panama

Defensoría del Pueblo (Unidad Especializada de Niñez y Adolescencia)

Paraguay

Defensoría del Pueblo (Departamento de la Niñez y la Adolescencia)

http://www.defensoriadelpueblo.gov.py/

Peru

Defensoría del Pueblo (Adjuntía para la Niñez y la Adolescencia)

http://www.defensoria.gob.pe/

Philippines

Commission on Human Rights (Child Rights Centre)

Poland

Ombudsman for Children

http://brpd.gov.pl/

Portugal

Provedor de Justiça (Work Unit on Minors, Elderly People, Persons with Disabilities and Women)

http://www.provedor-jus.pt/index.php

Romania

People’s Advocate (Deputy for Rights of Children, Family, Youth, Retired Persons and Disabled Persons)

http://www.avp.ro/index.php?lang=ro-ro

Russian Federation

Children’s Rights Commissioner for the President of the Russian Federation

Serbia

Ombudsman / Protector of Citizens (Deputy Ombudsman for Children’s Rights)

http://www.ombudsman.rs/

Provincial Ombudsman’s Office for the Province of Vojvodina (Deputy Ombudsman for the Protection of Children’s Rights)

http://www.ombudsmanapv.org/

Sierra Leone

Human Rights Commission (Women and Children’s Rights Unit)

http://www.hrcsl.org/

Slovakia

Office of the Public Defender of Rights (integrated within the Defender’s office)

http://www.vop.gov.sk/

Slovenia

Human Rights Ombudsman (Special Group on Children’s Rights, headed by a Deputy Ombudsman)

http://www.pravice-otrok.si/

South Africa

South African Human Rights Commission (Coordinator for Children’s Rights)

http://www.sahrc.org.za/

Spain

Defensor del Menor de Andalucía

Síndic de Greuges de Catalunya (Adjunto para defensa de niños y adolescentes)

http://www.sindic.cat/ca/page.asp?id=113

Valedor do Pobo De Galicia (Vicevaledor de menores)

http://www.valedordopobo.gal/

Ararteko País Vasco (Oficina de la Infancia y la Adolescencia)

http://www.ararteko.net/home.jsp?language=eu&codResi=1

Sweden

Ombudsman for Children and Young Persons

https://www.barnombudsmannen.se/

Tanzania

Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance (Children’s Desk)

Turkey

The Ombudsman Institution (Ombudsman for women’s and children’s rights, disability and education)

https://www.ombudsman.gov.tr/English/

Ukraine

Children’s Ombudsman under the President of Ukraine

United Kingdom

Children’s Commissioner for England

http://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/

Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People

http://www.niccy.org/

Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People

https://www.cypcs.org.uk/

Children’s Commissioner for Wales

http://www.childcomwales.org.uk/

United States

The National Conference of State Legislatures maintains details of Children’s Ombudspersons and Child Advocates across the jurisdictions of the United States:

http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/childrens-ombudsman-offices.aspx

Venezuela

Defensoría del Pueblo (Defensoría Delegada Especial en materia de Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes)

http://www.defensoria.gob.ve/

Zambia

Human Rights Commission (Office of the Commissioner for Children’s Rights)