United Nations Human Rights Commission

United Nations Human Rights Commission (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) is an agency within the United Nations. Its website says it "represents the world's commitment to universal ideals of human dignity. We have a unique mandate from the international community to promote and protect all human rights."

High Commissioners
Accessed April 2009:


 * Navanethem Pillay, South Africa, 2008-
 * Louise Arbour, Canada, 2004-2008
 * Bertrand Ramcharan (Acting High Commissioner)
 * Sergio Vieira de Mello, Brazil, 2002-2003
 * Mary Robinson, Ireland, 1997-2002
 * Jose Ayala-Lasso, Ecuador, 1994-1997

Deputy High Commissioner
 * Kyung-wha Kang

Funding
Regular budget funding for the 2008-2009 biennium:


 * $119.2 million, or 2.89% of the United Nations' global budget of $4.17 billion.

This represents an increase of $ 35.8 million over the previous biennium, reflecting the commitment given by leaders at the 2005 World Summit to double, over five years, funding for OHCHR under the regular budget.

Voluntary contributions:


 * US$ 95.7 million in 2007 -an increase of $10.4 million compared with 2006.
 * Since 2002, the level of contributions has risen by more than 130%.
 * 43% of all contributions received in 2007 were unearmarked, compared with 37% in 2006, 26% in 2005 and 20% in 2004.

Who funds OHCHR?


 * Member States provided some 91% of all voluntary funding in 2007.
 * International organizations, including the European Commission, contributed some 8%.
 * Private donors, including foundations, companies and individuals, accounted for just over 1% of voluntary funding.
 * The number of institutional donors (i.e. Governments, foundations and companies) increased from 65 in 2006 to 74 in 2007, with the number of Governments contributing rising from 61 to 64.

Voluntary contributions The top funder in 2007 was the US government which gave just over US$ 10.4 million and in second place was Norway which gave US$ 10.3 million. The Canadian government ranked number 3 giving US$ 9 million. Ranked as the 22nd largest funder, the MacArthur Foundation gave US$ 650,000 (it was the only foundation donor), and in rank 24 was Rights and Democracy which gave US$ 360,000.

==Special Procedures Mandate Holders (as of October 2007) ==
 * Akich Okola (Kenya)
 * Yash Ghai (Kenya)
 * Vitit Muntarbhorn Untarbhorn (Thailand)
 * Titinga Frederic Pacere (Burkina Faso)
 * Louis Joinet (France)
 * Charlotte Abaka (Ghana)
 * Paulo Sergio Pinheiro (Brazil)
 * John Dugard (South Africa)
 * Ghanim Alnajjar (Kuwait)
 * Sima Samar (Afghanistan)
 * Miloon Kothari (India)
 * Peter Lesa Kasanda (Zambia)
 * Joe Frans (Sweden)
 * George N. Jabbour (Syrian Arab Republic)
 * Irina Zlatescu (Romania)
 * Leila Zerrougui (Algeria)
 * Tamas Ban (Hungary)
 * Manuela Carmena Castrillo (Spain)
 * Seyyed Mohammad Hashemi (Islamic Republic Of Iran)
 * Soledad Villagra De Biedermann (Paraguay)
 * Juan Miguel Petit (Uruguay)
 * Vernor Munoz Villalobos (Costa Rica)
 * Santiago Corcuera Cabezut (Mexico)
 * Joel Adebayo Adekanye (Nigeria)
 * Darko Gottlicher ( Croatia )
 * Saeed Rajaee Khorasani (Islamic Republic Of Iran)
 * Stephen J. Toope (Canada)
 * Philip Alston (Australia)
 * Arjun Sengupta (India)
 * Jean Ziegler (Switzerland)
 * Ambeyi Ligabo (Kenya)
 * Asma Jahangir (Pakistan)
 * Paul Hunt (New Zealand)
 * Hina Jilani (Pakistan)
 * Leandro Despouy (Argentina)
 * Rodolfo Stavenhagen (Mexico)
 * Walter Kalin (Switzerland)
 * Amada Benavides De Perez (Colombia)
 * Najat Al-Hajjaji (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya)
 * Jose Gomez Del Prado (Spain)
 * Alexander Ivanovich Nikitin (Russian Federation)
 * Shaista Shameem (Fiji)
 * Jorge A. Bustamante (Mexico)
 * Gay Mcdougall (United States Of America)
 * Doudou Diene (Senegal)
 * Rudi Muhammad Rizki (Indonesia)
 * Bernards Andrew Nyamwaya Mudho (Kenya)
 * Martin Scheinin (Finland)
 * Manfred Nowak (Austria)
 * Okechukwu Ibeanu (Nigeria)
 * Sigma Huda (Bangladesh)
 * John Ruggie (United States Of America)
 * Yakin Erturk (Turkey

Contact details
OHCHR address: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Palais Wilson 52 rue des Pâquis CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland Phone: +41 22 917 90 00 Email: InfoDesk AT ohchr.org Web: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/WelcomePage.aspx

Postal address: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Palais des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

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