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The United Nations Human Rights Council is a worldwide intergovernmental organization that strengthens the protection and promotion of human rights as well as prosecuting related violations.

Introduction of basic items of the United Nations Human Rights Council and highlights the need to details about human rights issues around the world.
An understanding of the United Nations Human Rights Council is an important factor in resolving human rights issues.

United Nations Human Rights Council

The United Nations Human Rights Council is an organization that was established to strengthen responses to human rights issues.
The United Nations Human Rights Council can be specifically categorized by the following points:

• Mission
• History
• Composition
• Sessions

Being cognizant of these points facilitates the promotion of improved human rights activities.

Mission

The mission of the United Nations Human Rights Council is to strive for the advancement and promotion of human rights.

Periodic reviews of the actual status of human rights protection enforcement occuring in each UN member state is also an important task.

The principle of universality of human rights is the cornerstone of international human rights law. This means that we are all equally entitled to our human rights. This principle, as first emphasized in the UDHR, is repeated in many international human rights conventions, declarations, and resolutions.

Human rights are inalienable. They should not be taken away, except in specific situations and according to due process. For example, the right to liberty may be restricted if a person is found guilty of a crime by a court of law.

Reference：What are human right? – OHCHR

History

The United Nations Human Resources Council was ratified by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on March 15, 2006.

Despite member states officially adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the scope in which it is intended, problems have arisen where states in violation of these defined human rights have been elected to the Commission on Human Rights.

Consequently the necessity to improve the selection process of members led to the establishment of The United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

Composition

The United Nations Human Rights Council is comprised of the following 47 countries.

• Argentina
• Armenia
• Australia
• Bahamas
• Bahrain
• Bangladesh
• Bolivia
• Brazil
• Bulgaria
• Burkina Faso
• Cameroon
• China
• Cote d’Ivoire
• Cuba
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Eritrea
• Fiji
• France
• Gabon
• Germany
• India
• Indonesia
• Italy
• Japan
• Libya
• Malawi
• Marshall Islands
• Mauritania
• Mexico
• Namibia
• Nepal
• Netherlands
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Poland
• Republic of Korea
• Russian Federation
• Senegal
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Togo
• Ukraine
• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
• Uruguay
• Uzbekistan
• Venezuela

These countries are selected in consideration of “[their] contribution [in] promot[ing] and protect[ing] human rights”.

The term of office is three years, with a maximum allowed two consecutive terms. In order to be geographically impartial, 13 countries from Asia, 13 countries from Africa, 8 countries from Latin America, 7 countries from Western Europe, and 6 countries from Eastern Europe are chosen.

Sessions

The sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council are chiefly regular and special sessions.

Regular sessions occur several times throughout the year in March, June and September.

Special sessions can be held at any time of the year provided at least one third of the member states concur.

Specific sessions will include reports on human rights, relevant dialogue and panel discussions with member states in addition to designated envoys obliged under certain circumstances to exercise special procedures bestowed upon. These reports will then be taken into consideration.

Differences between the Human Rights Commission and the Human Rights Council

A comparison of the differences between the Human Rights Commission and the Human Rights Council:

Items	United Nations Commission on Human Rights	United Nations Human Rights Council
Session	6 weeks (March – April)	At least three times a year, for a total of at least 10 weeks (Meet regularly throughout the year)
Location	United Nations European Headquarters	United Nations European Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland
Status	Functional apparatus of the Social and Economic Committee (Established by resolution of the Economic and Social Committee in 1946)	Subordinate body of the General Assembly (Established by resolution of the General Assembly in 2006)
Number of Council	53 Member States	47 Member States
Regional Allocation	・12 member states from Asia ・15 member states from Africa ・11 member states from Latin America ・5 member states from Eastern Europe ・10 member states from Western Europe	・13 member states from Asia ・13 member states from Africa ・8 member states from Latin America ・6 member states from Eastern Europe ・7 member states from Western Europe
Election Method	Elected by a majority of the countries present and voting at the Economic and Social Council.	Elected by an absolute majority of member nation states of the General Assembly, or directly on an individual level.
Term of office	Three years (no limit on re-election)	Three years (Re-election after two consecutive terms is prohibited.)
Other	Special sessions can be held with the agreement of a majority of the member states.	A two-thirds majority vote of the General Assembly can suspend the membership of a Council member which has committed a serious human rights violation. Special sessions can be held at the request of at least one-third of the Council members.

As previously mentioned, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights formerly had to be elected by a majority of the 53 members of the Economic and Social Council present and voting; however only an absolute majority vote by the General Assembly members is required.

Therefore, members are selected based on their contributions towards the protection and promotion of human rights.

Human Rights around the world (Current Status)

Worldwide various human rights issues exist.
Everyone is entitled to the dignity afforded by human rights in addition to the right to be respected and live happily, yet the current situation is rife with infringements of these basic rights.

These are some of the different kinds of human rights violations

• Female Human Rights Violations
• Internet Human Rights Violations
• Human Rights Violations against foreigners

Female Human Rights Violations

While decreasing on a global scale, human rights violations against women tend to be less than in the past, there are still countries and regions that discriminate against women.

By observing the lack of progress in obtaining gender equality, it is evident that there is a long way to go in eradicating (violence, violations, abuses etc) against women.

Regardless of gender, it is crucial to realize a society in which individuals are able to live the diverse lives that they choose.

Internet Human Rights Violations

With internet usage and adoption ever increasing in this information age, problems with human rights on the internet are occuring.

For example, anonymous information sharing through social media platforms can lead to non-factual slander and malicious rumors being spread (with obvious consequences for the target of those attacks).

When using the internet, it is a moral obligation that everyone follow societal expectations and norms and above that maintaining a respect for human rights.

Furthermore, in the event of human rights violations, requesting that the operator, administrator or provider hosting the violating content delete it is necessary.

Human Rights Violations of Foreigners

The issue of human rights violations against foreigners is also regarded as a global issue.
The international conventions on economic, social and cultural rights are as follows:

• the right to work in just and favourable conditions;
• the right to social protection, to an adequate standard of living and to the highest attainable standards of physical and mental well-being;
• the right to education and the enjoyment of benefits of cultural freedom and scientific progress.

Reference : Human Rights – United Nations

The Necessity of The United Nations Human Rights Council

The United Nations Human Rights Council is able to utilize its expertise and independence should problems arise with human rights violations. It cannot be stressed enough how important maintaining human rights is.

Examples include the deteriorating situations in Syria and South Sudan.

In addition, the rights and privileges of a member states can be suspended if the Council determines that repeated human rights violations has been committed on an ongoing basis during the term of office.

For this to happen a two thirds or greater majority consensus must be reached.
With the aim of developing and improving human rights, member states can assist each other in complying with human rights-related obligations by providing technical support and developing dialogue skills, all of which contributes to international peace.