The Greek National Commission for Human Rights (GNCHR) was established by Law 2667/1998 as the independent advisory body to the Greek State in accordance with the UN Paris Principles, adopted by the United Nations (General Assembly Resolution A/RES/48/134, 20.12.1993, “National institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights”) and is the national institution for the protection and promotion of human rights (NHRI) in Greece.

In Greece, the institutional role of the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) has been assigned to the Greek National Commission for Human Rights (GNCHR). In accordance with the UN Paris Principles, similar NHRIs are already operating in most countries. Currently, 80 countries in the world have fully harmonized NHRIs (A status) and several others have launched the establishment of their own NHRIs (see GANHRI, Chart of the status of National Institutions).