Human Rights Council

The Human Rights Council is a permanent United Nations body that seeks to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. It was created in 2006 to replace the previous Commission on Human Rights.

The new Council undertakes its work based on the principles of universality, equality, non-selectivity and objectivity.

It is composed of 47 countries elected by the General Assembly through secret ballot (13 from the African Group; 13 from the Asian Group; 6 from the Eastern European Group; 8 from the Latin American and Caribbean Group; and 7 from the Western European and Other States Group).

The work of the Human Rights Council includes:

• special procedures mechanisms, set up to investigate thematic human rights issues and human rights concerns in certain countries
• treaty bodies, which monitor the compliance of States Parties with international human rights treaties
• the Universal Periodic Review, a process which examines the human rights situation of all countries on a regular basis
• the Human Rights Advisory Committee, a think tank which provides expert advice on issues of specific interest to the Council.

When the rules and procedures of the Human Rights Council were being established, the APF advocated strongly for the independent participation of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) in all aspects of the Council’s work. This was agreed by the Human Rights Council.

As a result, NHRIs that have been accredited as complying with the Paris Principles (‘A’ status), have been recognised with the following participation rights in the Human Rights Council:

• separate accreditation status (different from States and from NGOs)
• the right to speak under all items of the Council’s agenda
• the right to make written statements for inclusion in the official record of meetings.