United Nations Human Rights Council
                     U N I T E D  N AT I O N S  
H U M A N  R I G H T S  
C O U N C I L
INTRODUCTION
The Human Rights  Counci l  i s  an intergovernmental  
body of  the Uni ted Nat ions,  through which States  
discuss  human r ights  condi t ions in  the UN Member  
States.  
Source: ijrcenter.org
PROTECTION OF ALL 
HUMAN RIGHTS 
The Counc i l ’ s  mandate is  to  promote  “un iversa l  
respect  for  the protect ion  of  a l l  human r ights  and 
fundamenta l  f reedoms fo r  a l l ”  and “address  
s i tuat ions  o f  v io la t ions  o f  human r ights ,  inc lud ing  
gross and systemat ic  v io la t ions ,  and make 
recommendat ions  thereon.”
Source: ijrcenter.org
COMPOSITION
The Counci l  i s  composed of  47 Member States  
e lected f rom the UN Genera l  Assembly to 
staggered three-year  terms,  wi th a specifi ed 
number  of  seats going to each major  geographic  
region.  
Source: ijrcenter.org
General Assembly 
Resolution 
Genera l  Assembly  Reso lu t ion  60/251 prov ides  that  
Members  S tates  shou ld  be  e lec ted  cons ider ing “ the  
contr ibut ion o f  candidates  to  the  promot ion  and  
protect ion  o f  human r ights”  and  “members  e lec ted  to  
the Counc i l  sha l l  upho ld  the  h ighest  s tandards in  the  
promot ion  and  protect ion  o f  human r ights . ”  
Source: ijrcenter.org
FUNCTIONS
The Counc i l  serves  as  a  fo rum fo r  d i a l ogue  among  S ta tes ,  
w i th  inpu t  f rom other  s takeho lde rs .  
As  a  resu l t  o f  i t s  d i scuss i ons ,  the  Counc i l  may  i s sue  
reso lu t i ons  ca l l i ng  on  S ta tes  to  take  spec ifi c  ac t i ons  o r  
upho ld  ce r ta in  p r i nc ip l es ,  o r  i t  may  c rea te  mechan i sms  to  
i nves t i gate  o r  mon i to r  ques t i ons  o f  concern .
Source: ijrcenter.org
SPECIAL PROCEDURES
The Human R ights  Counc i l  has  c reated or  renewed the  
mandates  o f  var ious  “spec ia l  p rocedures .”  
The  spec ia l  procedures  are  experts  appo inted  to  
mon i tor  human r ights  around pr io r i ty  themes  o r  in  
spec ifi c  count r ies  w i th  ser ious  human r ights  prob lems .
Source: ijrcenter.org
UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW
The Counci l  a lso manages the Universal  Per iodic  
Review,  a  process through which each UN Member  
State ’s  overal l  human r ights  record is  rev iewed.
Source: ijrcenter.org
SESSIONS
The Counci l  conducts  i ts  substant ive  work 
pr imar i ly  in  Regular  Sess ions and Specia l  Sess ions.  
Regular  Sess ions are  held no fewer  than three 
t imes a  year ,  usual ly  in March,  June,  and 
September.  
Source: ijrcenter.org
AGENDA AND PROGRAM 
Regular  Sess ions  inc lude the  presentat ion  o f  human 
r ights  repor ts  and in teract ive  d ia logues  wi th  Spec ia l  
Procedure  mandate ho lders  o r  Member  States ,  panel  
d iscuss ions  and debates  on  a  w ide range o f  human 
r ights  issues ,  and cons iderat ion  o f  Un iversa l  Per iod ic  
Rev iew repor ts .
Source: ijrcenter.org
CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPATION
Gene ra l  As sem b l y  Res o l u t i o n  60 /2 51  ex p l i c i t l y  a c kno w led ges  t ha t  
“n on -go v e rnm ent a l  o rga n i z a t i o n s  p l ay  a n  i mp o r t a n t  ro l e  a t  th e  
na t i o na l ,  reg i o na l  a n d  i n te rna t i o n a l  l ev e l s ,  i n  th e  p ro m ot i o n  a nd  
p ro t ec t i o n  o f  hum a n r i gh t s”  a nd  f u r th er  de t e rm in es  th a t  th e  
Co un c i l  sho u ld  w o rk  “ i n  c l o s e  c o o pe ra t i o n  i n  t he  fi e ld  o f  hum a n  
r i gh t s  w i th  G o v e rnm ent s ,  reg i o na l  o rga n i z a t i o ns ,  na t i o na l  hum a n  
r i gh t s  i ns t i t u t i o ns  a n d  c i v i l  so c i e ty. ”
Source: ijrcenter.org