Incorporation
Belonging to the Organization of the United Nations system established by the General Assembly on March 15 / March 2006.
The establishment of the Council in the UN reforms proposed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to succeed the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, which they felt had failed to deal properly with human rights issues, although it has been over six decades the main structure on the human rights framework.
Headquarters
There is the Council's headquarters in the Swiss city of Geneva.
Goals
The Council aims to protect human rights and address violations by, engaged in various parts of the world through the provision of recommendations.
Council takes through the mechanisms of inspection and monitoring, counseling and reporting on the human rights situations in specific countries or territories task, and the key phenomena for violations exposed to human rights in the world.
After a year of holding its first meeting on June 18, 2007, the Board established institutions dubbed "special procedures".
The US and this person called the Special Rapporteur or the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations or the independent expert's name, it can also be handled by a team receives information about the excesses or abuses of human rights.
Following receipt of such information shall charged with sending urgent appeals or letters of allegation to the Governments concerned for illustration purposes.
It can also, for those who make visits to the countries concerned to verify the human rights situation in coordination with the governments of the countries concerned are evacuated to report that includes research and recommendations in effect as a result.
Restructuring
Human Rights Council consists of 47 Member States elected by the majority of the members of the United Nations General Assembly direct and secret ballot. The General Assembly shall take into account the contribution of the candidate countries in promoting and protecting human rights, as well as voluntary pledges and commitments in this regard.
And based on membership of the Council to the special geographical distribution. The seats will be distributed as follows:
- African States: 13 seats
- Asian States: 13 seats
- Latin American and Caribbean States: 8 seats
- Western Europe and other States: 7 seats
- Eastern European States: 6 seats
The term of office of members of the Board of three years and may not be re-elected immediately after served two consecutive terms.
Office of the Council is composed of five people, four -rias Nwab- representing the five regional groups, and hold their positions for a year, according to the annual session of the Council.
The Council has an advisory committee working to provide expertise and research studies requested by. The Committee is composed of 18 independent experts nominated by governments and elected by the Council, the elections are held normally in the session of the Council in September / September, where members perform their duties for a period of three years and can be renewed for elected once.
Council adopted on June 18 2007, a new procedure for complaints to address grave violations based on reliable evidence.
Retains the complaints procedure secret character in order to strengthen cooperation with the countries concerned. It was the establishment of two independent, the first communications means and the second specialized follow-up cases. It costs two teams together to alert the Council consistent patterns of gross violations. And excludes all complaints that are not accompanied by credible evidence, as well as communications of a political nature.