NEWS

Russia to lose the membership of UNHRC

HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

• Inter-governmental body within the United Nations system
• Responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the world
• Addresses and makes recommendations on situations of human rights violations, and can discuss all thematic human rights issues and situations

WORKING OF THE COUNCIL

• Replaced the former UN Commission on Human Rights
• Created by the UNGA on March 15, 2006, and the body met in its first session from June 19-30, 2006.
• In 2007, the Council adopted an “institution-building package” to set up its procedures and mechanisms
• Among these were the mechanism of Universal Periodic Review to assess the human rights situations in all UN Member States, the Advisory Committee that serves as the Council’s think tank providing it with expertise and advice on thematic human rights issues, and the Complaint Procedure, which allows individuals and organisations to bring human rights violations to the Council’s attention
• Also works with the UN Special Procedures established by the former Commission on Human Rights, consisting of special rapporteurs, special representatives, independent experts, and working groups that monitor, examine, advise and report on thematic issues or human rights situations in specific countries.

MEMBERSHIP OF THE COUNCIL

• Council meets at the UN Office in Geneva, Switzerland
• Made up of 47 UN Member States who are elected by majority vote through a direct and secret ballot at the UNGA
• According to the Council’s website, the UNGA takes into account the candidate States’ contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as their voluntary pledges and commitments in this regard
• Membership of the Council is based on equitable geographical distribution
• African and Asia-Pacific states have 13 seats each, Latin American and Caribbean states have 8 seats, Western European and other states 7 seats, and Eastern European states 6 seats
• The members serve for three years and are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two consecutive terms.
• With membership on the Council comes a responsibility to uphold high human rights standards. This is a criteria insisted on by States themselves when they adopted resolution 60/251 in March 2006 to create the Human Rights Council. It is this responsibility that Russia is alleged to have wilfully violated in Ukraine. Russia’s three-year term as member of the Council began on January 1, 2021

LEADERSHIP OF THE COUNCIL

• Has a five-person Bureau, consisting of a president and four vice-presidents
• Each represent one of the five regional groups
• Serve for a year each, in accordance with the Council’s annual cycle