Human Rights Council

The Human Rights Council "is an inter-governmental body within the UN system made up of 47 States responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe. The Council was created by the UN General Assembly on 15 March 2006 with the main purpose of addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them.

"One year after holding its first meeting, on 18 June 2007, the Council adopted its “Institution-building package” [Word file] providing elements to guide it in its future work. Among the elements is the new Universal Periodic Review mechanism which will assess the human rights situations in all 192 UN Member States.  Other features include a new Advisory Committee which serves as the Council’s “think tank” providing it with expertise and advice on thematic human rights issues and the revised Complaints Procedure mechanism which allows individuals and organizations to bring complaints about human rights violations to the attention of the Council.  The Human Rights Council also continues to work closely with the UN Special Procedures established by the former Commission on Human Rights and assumed by the Council."


 * President, Nigerian Ambassador Martin Ihoeghian Uhomoibhi (In 2008 Mr Uhomoibhi succeeded Romania's Doru Romulus Costea, who himself took over from the council's inaugural president, Mexican Ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba)

On April 3, 2009: "The Human Rights Council today announced the appointment of Richard J. Goldstone, former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda and current Spinoza Fellow at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanity and Social Sciences, to lead an independent fact-finding mission to investigate international human rights and humanitarian law violations related to the recent conflict in the Gaza Strip."

Advisory Committee
"The 18 members of the Advisory Committee were elected on 26 March 2008, at the seventh session of the Human Rights Council. The membership of the Advisory Committee has to conform with the following geographical distribution guidelines set out in its establishing resolution: five members each from African and Asian States; three each from Latin American and Caribbean States, and Western European and other States; and two members from Eastern European States.

"Members serve for a period of three years and are eligible for re-election once. In accordance with resolution 5/1, the staggering of terms of membership of the Advisory Committee members was determined by drawing lots immediately after the election. Hence, in the first term, one-third of the experts will serve for one year and another third for two years. Following is the list of members of the Advisory Committee and their respective terms of office: Mr. Jose Antonio Bengoa Cabello (Chile - 2010), Mr. Ansar Ahmed Burney (Pakistan - 2011), Mr. Shiqiu Chen (China - 2009), Ms. Chinsung Chung (Republic of Korea - 2010), Mr. Emmanuel Decaux (France - 2011), Mr. Hector Felipe Fix Fierro (Mexico - 2011), Mr. Wolfgang Stefan Heinz (Germany - 2010), Mr. Latif Huseynov (Azerbaidjan - 2011), Mr. Baba Kura Kaigama (Nigeria - 2011), Mr. Vladimir Kartashkin (Russian Federation - 2010), Mr. Miguel Alfonso Martinez (Cuba - 2009), Mr. Bernards Andrews Nyamwaya Mudho (Kenya - 2010), Ms. Purificacion V. Quisumbing (Philippines - 2011), Mr. Shigeki Sakamoto (Japan - 2010), Mr. Dheerujlall Seetulsingh (Mauritius - 2011), Ms. Halima Embarek Warzazi (Morocco - 2009), Mr. Jean Ziegler (Switzerland - 2009), Ms. Mona Zulficar (Egypt - 2010).

"The Chairperson of the second session was Miguel Alfonso Martinez, Vice-Chairpersons were Mona Zulficar, Vladimir Kartashkin and Chung Chinsung. The Rapporteur was Emmanuel Decaux."

Contact

 * Web: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * United Nations Human Rights Commission
 * Sha Zukang