The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)

The Human Rights Council (HRC) has several mechanisms and entities to implement its mandate, collectively called the “Institution-building package” (2007).

Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

• Definition: A peer-review mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) requiring all UN Member States to undergo a review of their human rights record every 4.5 years.
• Objectives
  • Ensure equal treatment of all UN Member States.
  • Provide an opportunity for each State to:
    • Report on actions taken to improve human rights within their territory.
    • Receive recommendations from other States, informed by stakeholder input and pre-session reports.
  • Promote continuous improvement and accountability.
• Establishment
  • Created in March 2006 by UNGA Resolution 60/251.
  • The first review cycle started in 2008.
• Progress
  • By November 2022, at the 41st session of the UPR Working Group, the fourth cycle of reviews began.
  • All 193 UN Member States have already undergone three rounds of review.
• Significance
  • Aims to support, monitor, and expand the promotion and protection of human rights.
  • Encourages sharing of best practices among States.
  • Ensures universal participation and cooperation.

Special Procedures

• Comprise independent human rights experts (individuals or working groups).
• Mandated to report and advise on human rights from a thematic or country-specific perspective.
• Cover both thematic issues (education, health, freedom of speech, human trafficking, etc.) and country-specific situations (e.g., DPRK, Iran, Eritrea, Ukraine).
• Called the “eyes and ears” of the Council.
• They are unpaid and their tenure is limited to a maximum of six years.
•  With the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Special Procedures perform the following roles:

• Conduct country visits to assess human rights situations.
• Address individual complaints and broader concerns by sending communications to States and relevant actors.
• Contribute to the formulation of international human rights standards.
• Carry out advocacy, awareness-raising, and provide technical advice and cooperation.

Advisory Committee

• Known as the Council’s “think tank”.
• Provides expertise, research, and advice on thematic human rights issues.
• Composed of 18 independent experts, elected by the Council.

Complaint Procedure

• Allows individuals and organizations to bring complaints about human rights violations to the attention of the Human Rights Council..
• Focuses on consistent patterns of gross and reliably attested violations.
• Ensures victims’ voices are heard at the international level.

Other Mechanisms

• Platforms for dialogue and cooperation among States and stakeholders.
• Groups for legal evolution of human rights instruments.