Commission Nationale des Droits Humains du Burkina Faso
CNDH
Summary
The CNDH was established by Loi n°001-2016/AN of 24 March 2016 as Burkina Faso's national human rights institution, comprising 11 commissioners drawn entirely from civil society (human rights organisations, bar association, universities, trade unions, medical order, etc.). A 2021 amendment (Loi n°002-2021/AN) formally designated the CNDH as the national preventive mechanism (MNP/NPM) under OPCAT, granting it statutory unrestricted access to all places of deprivation of liberty including police commissariats, gendarmerie brigades, maisons d'arrêt, and prisons. It conducts announced and unannounced monitoring visits, issues advisory recommendations, and produces annual NPM reports. It has no binding discipline authority and cannot compel testimony. Its plenary board was dissolved by government decree in April 2026 pending reconstitution, but the enabling statute remains in force.
Independence Scorecard
| Appointment | Independent commission |
|---|---|
| Term length | 5 years |
| Removal standard | For cause only |
| Budget independence | Legislative line item |
| Subpoena power | No |
| Compel testimony | No |
| Records access | Full access |
| Public reports required | Yes |
| Pre-publication review | None — reports published directly |
Statute
- Name
- Loi n°001-2016/AN portant création d'une Commission Nationale des Droits Humains, telle que modifiée par Loi n°002-2021/AN du 30 mars 2021
- Citation
- Loi n°001-2016/AN du 24 mars 2016; Loi n°002-2021/AN du 30 mars 2021
- Full text
- Full text of law →
Jurisdiction scope
National human rights commission with mandate to monitor all places of deprivation of liberty (police commissariats, gendarmerie brigades, prisons, jails), receive complaints on human rights violations, and serve as the national preventive mechanism (NPM) against torture under OPCAT.