Humanelaw

The United Nations Human Rights Council is a subsidiary organization of the United Nations. It is the replacement of the United Nations Commission on human rights. The UNCHR works simultaneously with the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights.

The UNHRC was set up by the UN General Assembly by a resolution on 15 March 2006. The Institution Building Package was adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Commission in the year June 18, 2007, which offers substance for guiding it.

The Universal Periodic Review monitors the situation of human rights in each and every member nations. Advisory Committee is an element of the Institution Building Package what serves as the think tank of UNHRC. The Complaints Procedures is an element which takes complaints for violations of human rights.

The Human Rights Council has 47 members where each serves for three years term and no one will serve 3 continuous terms.

The UNHRC’s members are elected by the UN General Assembly. Seats are divided among the regional members as:

1. 8 for Latin America and the Caribbean
2. 7 for the Western European and others
3. 6 for Eastern Europe
4. 13 for Asia
5. And 13 for Africa

The 1st election of UNHRC members was held on May 9, 2006. Mr. Sihasak Phuangketkeow of Thailand is the President of the UNHRC. The old CHR formed the Sub-Commission of Human Rights. There were 26 elected expert members of the Sub-Commission. The Sub-Commission was divided into 8 working groups under different categories, which are as follows: WG on communication, contemporary forms slavery, justice administration, minorities, indigenous populations, social forum, transnational corporations and terrorism.

In the year 2006 the CHR was replaced by the UNHRC, the responsibility for sub-commission was assumed by the UNHRC. The Sub-Commission gave a recommendation to create a consultative committee on human rights to provide consultation to the UNHRC. An Advisory Committee was created in September 2007 by the UNHRC. There are 18 members in the advisory committee, which are distributed as:5 from Asia, 5 from Africa, 3 from Latin America and Caribbean, 3 from Western Europe and other states and 2 from Eastern Europe.