Hidden Story Channel

The United Nation (UN) is an international organization established in 1945.

It currently holds 193 country members and its activities are all based on the goal and principle of the Charter of the United Nations.

The UN has, without a doubt, become one of the key elements when building our ethical views and common beliefs.

In this article, we will introduce and highlight key human rights activities by the UN its historical and cultural background.

Overview of the UN human rights activity

The human rights activities by the UN includes the following:

• Founding the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
• High-Level Meetings
• World Humanitarian Summit

Founding the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

The OHCHR is protecting human rights under the guarantee of International law.

This human right is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

The purpose of the OHCHR is as below:

Represent the world’s commitment to the promotion and protection of the full range of human rights and freedoms set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Play a leading role in human rights issues and emphasize the importance of human rights at both international and domestic level.

Encourage international cooperation for human rights.

Stimulate and adjust the actions of human rights with the UN and its system.

Encourage the universal ratification and execution of international standards.

Support developing the new norm.

Support the human rights organization and treaty monitoring organization.

Address serious human rights violations.

Take action for preventative human rights behavior.

Encourage the established infrastructure of national human rights.

Operate and run in the human rights field.

Giving education in the human rights field.

In addition, the OHCHR activity is not just to set guidelines/regulations and raise awareness.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights encourages and improves the awareness of human rights at field level.

Reference：”What we do: an overview – OHCHR”

High-Level Meetings

The UN hosts high-level meetings to discuss human rights issues.

The important high-level meetings are as follows:

High-Level Task Force on Preventing Famine

High-Level Meeting on Financing for the Development

High-Level Meeting on World Conference on Women

High-Level Meeting on UN’s 75th Anniversary

United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development

United Nations High-Level Meeting on AIDs

They address problems such as the human rights issues at each meeting.

The UN conducts human rights activities through these High-Level meetings.

Reference：”General Assembly – the United Nations”

World Humanitarian Summit

The World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) was held by the former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The purpose of the WHS is to support a new Agenda for Humanity.

55 top members from the State and Government participated in the WHS.

In addition to this, a total of 9,000 people participated in this summit including the civil society.

Reference：”World Humanitarian Summit – Agenda for Humanity”

What is the purpose of the UN?

The purpose of the UN is to maintain world peace.

The UN was founded in 1945 after World War II with the mission of international peace and security.

Also, the UN works on conflict prevention and supports peacebuilding for the conflicting parties.

Because of this purpose, they have allocated peacekeepers to create an atmosphere where they can maintain and flourish the peace.

Overall, the UN has stated their main purposes as below:

To maintain world peace.

To develop friendly relations among nations.

To improve the lives of the poor by working together between countries; to conquer hunger, disease, and illiteracy; to encourage the respect of individuals’ human rights and freedom.

To be the center of the team and harmonize the countries’ behavior in order to accomplish these goals.

Reference：”History of the UN – United Nations Seventieth Anniversary”

Needless to say, the establishment of the UN as an organization has played an important role for maintaining world peace.

Furthermore, developing the UN as an organization will essentially lead to achieving world peace.

Reference：”About Us – the United Nations”

The UN and its types of human rights activity

The types of human rights activity in the UN includes the following:

Humanitarian support

Establish international laws

Taking the initiative in human rights issues

Humanitarian Support

The UN triggers humanitarian support when there is a violation of human rights.

The objective for the UN is to accomplish better international relations. In order to do so, the organization needs to solve economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian international issues.

One of the solutions is humanitarian support.

Below are the organizations that was founded by the UN:

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

World Food Programme (WFP)

These organizations aim to support those who were abused of human rights.

The UN not only supports physical and mental abuse of human rights, but also supports violations concerning poverty.

For this reason, the UN is a distinctive organization which covers a wide range of support.

Reference：”Peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet – the United Nations”

Establish international laws

The UN delivers human rights activity by establishing international laws.

International law is a law that is protected internationally and strictly adhered to by all members of the UN.

International laws include:

Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide

International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

Convention on the Rights of the Child

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

The UN has established the International Law Commision (ILC).

The ILC is an organization which encourages the development of international law and its codification.

It was established by the General Assembly in 1947.

The International Court of Justice was founded as a place where they can gather and provide judgement over international laws.

The International Court of Justice is an organization that was set up to solve international issues.

This court can also handle serious abuse of human rights such as genocides.

Reference：”International Law and Justice – the United Nations”

Taking the initiative in human rights issues

The UN prevents the abuse of human rights by taking initiative in human rights issues.

The UN is unique and holds a Security Council.

The Security Council is an organization to solve international issues.

It plays an important role of decision-making for such organizations like the UN where various countries are participating members.

The UN’s decision making process hinges on such organizations.

However, not only is the Security Council appointed as the decision-maker, but it also plays the role to execute initiatives based on decisions made.

In this way, the UN takes initiative in human rights issues and is responsible to carry out such activities.

Reference：”Maintain International Peace and Security – the United Nations”

Reference：”About Us – the United Nations”

Frequently asked questions about the UN and its human rights activity

What is the fundamental belief when carrying out human rights activities in the UN?

The UN is working based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) founded in 1948.

The true value of the UDHR is its establishment of basic human rights and the statement of protecting them internationally.

That is why the UN has set up organizations to protect and follow the UDHR.

Furthermore, to achieve a common goal that is, to build a better sustainable world.

What is the role of the UN?

The UN has five major roles:

To maintain world peace and security

To protect human rights

To offer humanitarian support

To support sustainable development and climate control

To support International law

The role of the UN is to protect basic human rights and to maintain world peace.

Their role is to also ensure that human rights are entitled to those that desire support.
Providing such support is the main role of the UN.

Did the UN have any issues regarding human rights activity?

The UN had a problem where the peacekeepers abused human rights.

Moreover, the abuse of human rights were directed to children and women of the peacekeepers in countries that were receiving support.

Regarding this matter, the UN has stated as below:

The blue beret or the blue helmet you wear represents hope for the vulnerable population of the CAR

Reference：”Fresh allegations of sexual abuse made against UN peacekeepers in Central African Republic – UN News”

In this way, peacekeepers violate human rights through peacekeeping activities.

Of course, the UN is trying to solve and address these kinds of problems. And they are making it clear to prevent those abuses.

Reference：”New sexual abuse allegations against UN peacekeepers in CAR – UN News”

Understanding the UN and its human rights activity

It is important for us to understand the UN and its human rights activity in order for us to understand actual human rights.

Moreover, by understanding the nature of such activities, we will have a better idea on how to act on our own.

There is always the opportunity to take part and be involved in the said activities as well.