The Commissioner for Administration and Protection of Human Rights, Maria Stylianou Lottidou, handed over her annual report on the exercise of her responsibilities for 2020 to the President of the House of Representatives, Anita Demetriou, during their meeting on Thursday.
According to a statement from the Parliament, the Commissioner reviewed the work carried out by her Office with particular reference to her additional capacity as the National Human Rights Authority in Cyprus. "She also submitted individual reports for the year 2020 as to other responsibilities assigned to her under specific legislation, namely her status as an Equality and Anti-Discrimination Body acting on her own initiative or following a complaint, as a National Body for the Prevention of Torture, as a National Mechanism for the Monitoring of Forced Returns of Irregularly Staying Foreigners and finally as an Independent Mechanism for the Promotion, Protection and Monitoring of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities", it is noted.
During the meeting, the importance of the institution of the Commissioner for Administration, in the context of her institutional obligation to ensure the principle of legality and the rule of law, as well as the protection of human rights, was stressed on both sides. In addition, it was recognised that both the Commissioner and the House of Representatives, as a distinct power, make a decisive contribution to achieving a balance in the context of scrutinising the acts and omissions of the Executive.
The President of the House of Representatives, as noted in the statement, praised the importance of the institution and work of the Commissioner, who, she said, is "a model of a woman official with her commitment to ensuring the rule of law and protection of citizens' rights".
She also stressed the importance of the Commissioner's annual general and special reports as useful tools capable of contributing to a deeper understanding of important aspects of issues of major importance to society. The ultimate goal, as the Communication concludes, is to undertake appropriate legislative initiatives as well as joint horizontal actions to raise awareness in society on key issues such as the protection of human rights, equality, anti-discrimination and information on the rights of persons with disabilities, objectives on which the two sides are committed to working together towards their implementation.
Source: CNA
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