- What is it?: The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is the principal intergovernmental body within the UN system responsible for promoting and protecting human rights globally.
- Formation: It replaced the former UN Commission on Human Rights in 2006 through UN General Assembly Resolution 60/251.
- Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
- Members: 47 States, elected by the UN General Assembly through secret ballot.
- Term: 3 years (eligible for only two consecutive terms).
- Functions:
- Promotion and protection of human rights across the world.
- Addressing human rights violations through dialogue, investigation, and resolutions.
- A peer-review mechanism where each UN member’s human rights record is reviewed every 4–5 years.
- Appointment of Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts on thematic or country-specific issues.
- Provides expert, research-based advice to the Council.
- Enables individuals or groups to bring consistent patterns of human rights violations to attention.
Source: The Hindu