United Nations And Its Agencies Questions Medium
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a subsidiary body of the United Nations (UN) responsible for promoting and protecting human rights around the world. The main functions of the UNHRC can be summarized as follows:
1. Monitoring and reporting: The UNHRC monitors the human rights situation in member states and conducts periodic reviews known as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). It assesses the progress made by countries in implementing human rights obligations and provides recommendations for improvement.
2. Addressing human rights violations: The UNHRC investigates and addresses specific human rights violations, including gross and systematic violations. It establishes special procedures, such as special rapporteurs and working groups, to examine and report on specific human rights issues or country situations.
3. Promoting dialogue and cooperation: The UNHRC serves as a platform for dialogue and cooperation among member states, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders. It facilitates discussions on human rights issues, encourages states to share best practices, and promotes international cooperation to address human rights challenges.
4. Developing international standards: The UNHRC plays a crucial role in developing and promoting international human rights standards. It adopts resolutions and decisions on various human rights issues, including civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights. These standards guide member states in their efforts to protect and promote human rights domestically.
5. Advocacy and awareness-raising: The UNHRC raises awareness about human rights issues and advocates for their protection and promotion. It engages in public debates, organizes thematic discussions, and supports initiatives to raise awareness about specific human rights concerns, including through its annual sessions and side events.
6. Capacity-building and technical assistance: The UNHRC provides technical assistance and capacity-building support to member states to strengthen their human rights institutions and practices. It offers expertise, training, and resources to help countries fulfill their human rights obligations and improve their human rights records.
Overall, the UNHRC plays a crucial role in promoting and protecting human rights globally by monitoring human rights situations, addressing violations, promoting dialogue and cooperation, developing international standards, raising awareness, and providing technical assistance.