Human rights are rights that all people have, regardless of their race, gender, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or another status. The right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of thought and speech, the right to employment and education, and many others are all protected by human rights. The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is an international organization that promotes and protects human rights around the world. This article is a detailed discussion of the UN Human Rights Council for the UPSC Exams.

United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC): An Overview

• It was established in the year 2006 on 15th of March. It took the place of the former UN Commission on Human Rights.
• The headquarter of UNHRC is located in Geneva, Switzerland.
• It is a multilateral body tasked with strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the world.
• The Human Rights Council's Secretariat is the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
• It is composed of 47 UN Member States that are chosen by the UN General Assembly (UNGA). Members of the Council serve three-year terms and are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two terms in a row.
• The following is how the seats are apportioned among the United Nations regional groups:
  • African States: 13 seats
  • Asia-Pacific States: 13 seats
  • Latin American and Caribbean States: 8 seats
  • Western European and other States: 7 seats
  • Eastern European States: 6 seats

Objectives of UNHRC

The UN Human Rights Council's principal goal is to investigate claims of human rights violations in UN member states and to guarantee that the following human rights issues are addressed and upheld to the fullest degree possible.

1. Freedom of assembly
2. Freedom of expression and free speech
3. Freedom of religion
4. Protection of women’s rights
5. Protecting Rights of LGBT community and that of racial and ethnic minorities.

Subsidiary Bodies

The following subsidiary bodies have been established to ensure the smooth operation of the United Nations Human Rights Council and report directly to the council:

Advisory Committee

• The UNHRC established an Advisory Committee in September 2007 to provide expert input on a variety of human rights problems. The composition of the committee are:
  • Africa – 5
  • Asia – 5
  • Latin America and the Caribbean – 3
  • Western Europe – 3
  • Eastern Europe – 2

Complains Procedure

The Complaints Procedure, which was established on June 18, 2007, aids in the consistent and trustworthy reporting of human rights breaches and other fundamental freedoms from throughout the world.

Universal Periodic Review Working Group

The Universal Periodic Review Working Group keeps track of all 193 UN members' progress. The foundation of a new process reports from many sources, including contributions from NGOs.During a three-and-a-half-hour debate, the progress of each country's human rights is assessed.

India at the UNHRC

• A number of UN Special Rapporteurs recently wrote to the Indian government, voicing their concerns about the draught Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2020.
• As part of the third stage of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process, India's National Human Rights Commission delivered its mid-term report to the Council in 2020.
• India was elected to the Council for a three-year term with an overwhelming majority, that began on January 1, 2019.

Criticism of UNHRC

• Over the years, the United Nations Human Rights Council has been chastised for its ineffectiveness in resolving human rights matters and for appointing members with questionable human rights histories. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela, and others are among the members.
• Every time the UNHRC meets, it is accused of having an anti-Israel bias since it votes resolutions focusing on alleged Israeli human rights crimes while disregarding identical complaints from the Palestinian side.
• In 2008, it was stated that the UNHRC was dominated by a small number of Middle Eastern and African countries, with support from China and Russia, in order to shield each other from criticism.
• The UN Human Rights Council, like the UN Commission on Human Rights, elects members with a poor or doubtful track record on human rights, such as China, Pakistan, and Russia. It raises concerns about the organization's effectiveness and impartiality.

Conclusion

The United States recently declared that it would return to the United Nations Human Rights Council, which it had left in 2018. The idea of UNHRC is a great one as in today's world where so many countries are violating the basic rights of their citizens, UNHRC could be their saviour. The organization needs to work effectively to improve its drawbacks to reach its full potential.