A/HRC/27/40 6. Where, in accordance with article 16.2 of the statute of the International Coordinating Committee, it appears that the circumstances of any national human rights institution accredited with an “A” status may have changed in a way which affects its compliance with the Paris Principles, the Chair of the Committee or the Subcommittee on Accreditation may initiate a special review of the accreditation of that institution. Further to special review, the status of national human rights institution can be either maintained or downgraded. 7. With regard to flagrant cases, where the independence and credibility of “A” status national human rights institutions come under threat due to exceptional circumstances, and pending the conclusion of the special review process, article 18.2 of the statute of the International Coordinating Committee stipulates that where, in the opinion of the Chair of the International Coordinating Committee, an exceptional circumstance exists necessitating the urgent consideration of immediate suspension of an accredited “A” status institution, the [Committee] Bureau may decide to immediately suspend accreditation classification of that institution and initiate a special review, pursuant to article 16.2. Article 18.3 describes the procedure to be followed for the immediate suspension of accreditation in exceptional circumstances. As stipulated in article 18.4: for the purposes of article 18.2 and 18.3, an “exceptional circumstance” refers to a sudden and drastic change in the internal political order of a State such as: a break in the constitutional or democratic order; or a declared state of emergency; or gross violations of human rights; and is accompanied by any of the following: there is a change in the [national human rights institution] enabling legislation or other applicable law that is contrary to the Paris Principles; or there is [a] change in the composition of the [national human rights institution] that is not undertaken in accordance with the established selection and/or appointment process; or the [national human rights institution] acts in a way that seriously compromises its compliance with the Paris Principles. 8. In accordance with the accreditation procedure stipulated in article 12 of the statute of the International Coordinating Committee, the recommendations of the Subcommittee on Accreditation are submitted to the Committee Bureau for it to make the final decision on the accreditation status of the national human rights institutions reviewed, subsequent to the following process: (a) The recommendation made by the Subcommittee on Accreditation is forwarded to the applicant; (b) Within 28 days of receipt of the recommendation, the applicant may challenge it by submitting, through OHCHR, a written communication to the Chair of the International Coordinating Committee; (c) The report of the Subcommittee, including the recommendation, is subsequently forwarded for decision to the Committee Bureau. If any challenges have been received from the national human rights institution reviewed, the challenges, together with the statements of compliance and the summaries prepared by OHCHR of all the documents submitted by the institutions concerned, are sent to the Bureau members to enable them to assess the validity of the challenges; (d) If within 20 days of receipt of the report and the challenges at least four members of the Committee Bureau from no fewer than two regional groups notify the secretariat that they support the objection to the recommendation of the Subcommittee on Accreditation, the recommendation is referred to the Bureau at its next meeting for decision; 4