NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR DECISION-MAKING AND FOLLOW-UP SECTION I: COMMISSIONERS ACTING COLLECTIVELY AS THE COMMISSION 1.1 Introduction in all the Commission’s endeavours. The NHRC is a new institution in Bangladesh and because of its independence from the Executive, it is able to determine its own work methods rather than using the more bureaucratic processes of the public service. In any event, it will necessary to develop effective and efficient systems to cope with the anticipated workload. So the Commission will need to adopt modern policy and decision-making processes. These are designed to ensure that the Commission meets the burden of the considerable expectations that have been placed on it by its stakeholders, and which require it to operate effectively and efficiently. It can do so only if its corporate governance – planning, setting goals, prioritising and overseeing staff implementation of Commission policies is transparent and successfully carried out. 1.2 Independence These Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) have been developed to ensure that all the Commission members, whether full-time or honorary, as well as the staff, have clarity about their respective roles, understand their responsibilities within the Commission’s corporate structure and can be held accountable where these are breached. The Human Rights Commission Act 2009 sets out the responsibilities of the Commission, Commissioners and staff. These Operating Procedures set out how the Commission and staff will comply with the legislation and undertake best practice 54 According to its legislation, the Commission is “a statutory independent body.” Independence is also emphasised in the Commission’s Strategic Plan and, world-wide, is an essential requirement for institutions like the NHRC. Unless the Commission is independent, unless it acts independently and unless it is seen to act independently, it will not have the credibility it needs to act effectively. If the NHRC is not independent, it will not be trusted by its constituency, especially the poor, the vulnerable and the disadvantaged. It also needs to be seen as neutral and non-partisan. Given the importance of independence, the Human Rights Commission Act has entrenched the NHRC’s independence in a number of ways. Commissioners serve for fixed terms – three years – and cannot be removed, even by the President, during that time except by due process in accordance with the Act, or after following the process for the removal of a Judge of the Supreme Court. Commissioners also expect the staff to carry out their responsibilities in an independent manner. 1.3 Membership of the Commission The members of the Commission, both full-time and honorary, under the