UN Human Rights Council
As part of the recent reform process in the UN system, the Commission on Human Rights ended its six-decade history at the conclusion of its 62nd session on 27 March 2006. On 15 March 2006, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 60/251 (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) 
by which it created a new Human Rights Council to replace the Commission on Human Rights.
The Human Rights Council met for the first time on 19 June 2006, and completed its first year of life with the adoption of an ‘institution-building package’ (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) on 18 June 2007.
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The UN Human Rights Council, which meets in Geneva for a total of 10 weeks each year, is the leading international human rights forum. It consists of 47 states, each elected for three year terms. Other states, as well as international organizations, national human rights institutions and NGOs, can participate in the Human Rights Council’s sessions as observers.
The Human Rights Council has inherited from its predecessor – the Commission on Human Rights – an extensive system of Special Procedures (such as special rapporteurs, special representatives, independent experts and working groups) established to monitor and promote implementation of human rights, covering a range of country situations and thematic issues.
An important new role to be undertaken by the Human Rights Council is that of ‘universal periodic review’, whereby every UN member state will periodically be examined by the Human Rights Council with regard to its human rights record.
Latest Developments
The first session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group will take place in Geneva on 7-18 April 2008, and will examine Algeria, Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Finland, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Tunisia, United Kingdom.
NB: Deadline for submissions 20 November 2007!
Contribute to an LWF collaborative drafting effort for submissions to the UPR mechanism. Join the LWF@UPR website!
Special session of the Human Rights Council adopts resolution on Myanmar/Burma, 2 October 2007
The resumed sixth session of the Human Rights Council will take place in Geneva on 10-14 December 2007. The issues addressed in this resumed session will include:
- Myanmar/Burma
- Adequate housing
- The rights of indigenous peoples
- Counter-terrorism and human rights
- Review of mandates on internally displaced persons, Liberia, Sudan, health, adequate housing, counter-terrorism
- Progress on drafting an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
