Human Rights
The Human Rights Council and the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights
The establishment of the Human Rights Council (HRC) to replace the Commission on Human Rights has been decided by the World Leaders in the September 2005 Summit in New York. Following several months of negotiations, the UN General Assembly with an overwhelming majority of 170 countries established the Human Rights Council, in March 2006, (Res A/60/251), with a view to promote human rights and to provide effective and genuine protection to the victims of human rights violations.
During its first year, the Human Rights Council concentrated its activities on exploring and setting forth the modalities of the different components of the institution-building process, such as the Universal Periodic Review, the improvement and review of the systems of Special Procedures, the establishment of the experts’ Advisory Committee, the reform of the Complaints Procedure, the definition of an agenda and an annual program of work, as well as the establishment of its rules of procedures and its methods of work. The culmination of this development has been the adoption, by consensus, by the Human Rights Council on June 18, 2007 of the President’s text on Institution Building. This set of documents provides for the necessary base for the Council to continue its activities within a well-structured framework, aimed at addressing effectively human rights in all countries.
The Council, composed of 47 Member States, provides a multilateral forum to address human rights violations and country situations. It responds to human rights emergencies and makes recommendations on how to better implement human rights on the ground.
The Council benefits from substantive, technical, and secretariat support from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
Τhe Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is the United Nations' principal body dedicated to the promotion and protection of human rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Established in 1993 following the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, OHCHR works to uphold all human rights by monitoring violations, supporting legal and policy development, and empowering individuals and communities worldwide. It assists governments through field operations, provides capacity-building and legal guidance, and ensures that human rights are integrated across all UN programs, reinforcing the UN's three pillars: peace and security, development, and human rights.
The principal human rights official of the United Nations is the High Commissioner for Human Rights, who is accountable to the Secretary-General and is responsible for all the activities of OHCHR, as well as for its administration. The current High Commissioner, MrVolker Türk (Austria) took up his duties 17 October 2022, following the General Assembly’s approval on 8 September 2022. His vision focuses on ensuring that human rights are at the center of renewed action for peace, on economies that work for people and planet, on effective governance and on guardrails for digital and scientific progress.
