Core Functions

 

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• Addressing Violations: It is responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights and for addressing situations of human rights violations, including gross and systematic violations, and making recommendations on them.

• Discussion Forum: It serves as a multilateral forum to discuss all thematic human rights issues and country situations that require its attention.

• Responding to Emergencies: It has the ability to respond promptly to human rights emergencies by holding Special Sessions.

• Adopting Resolutions: It adopts resolutions and decisions that express the will of the international community on human rights issues, which can prompt governments to take action.

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Composition and Location

 

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• Members: It is composed of 47 Member States of the UN, which are elected by the UN General Assembly.

• Terms: Members serve for staggered three-year terms and are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two consecutive terms. Seats are distributed equitably among the five UN regional groups.

• Location: Its headquarters are at the United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland.

• Support: It is supported by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

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Key Mechanisms

 

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The Council employs several unique mechanisms to carry out its work:

• Universal Periodic Review (UPR): A state-led process that regularly reviews the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States once every four years.

• Special Procedures: These are independent human rights experts (like Special Rapporteurs or Working Groups) appointed to monitor and report on human rights situations in specific countries or on thematic issues (e.g., freedom of expression, torture).

• Commissions of Inquiry and Fact-Finding Missions: The Council can authorize these bodies to investigate and produce evidence on serious violations, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.

• Complaint Procedure: A confidential mechanism that allows individuals and groups to bring consistent patterns of gross and reliably attested human rights violations to the Council's attention.