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A number of international human rights treaties and other instruments adopted since 1945 have expanded international human rights law. These include the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948), the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1965), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) and others.
Human Rights Council
The Human Rights Council, established on 15 March 2006 by the General Assembly and reporting directly to it, replaced the 60-year-old UN Commission on Human Rights as the key UN intergovernmental body responsible for human rights. The Council, composed of representatives from 47 member states, works to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights around the world, addresses situations of human rights violations and makes recommendations, and responds to human rights emergencies.
The most innovative mechanism of the Human Rights Council is the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Through this unique mechanism, all 193 UN member states are reviewed every four years. As a cooperative process led by Member States, the UPR is conducted under the auspices of the Council and provides an opportunity for each State to report on the measures it has taken and the problems it needs to address to improve its human rights situation and fulfill its international obligations. The UPR is designed to guarantee the principles of universality and equal treatment for each country.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has primary responsibility for carrying out human rights activities throughout the UN system. Under her mandate, the High Commissioner responds to cases of human rights violations and takes preventive measures.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) coordinates UN human rights efforts. The OHCHR serves as the secretariat of the Human Rights Council, the treaty bodies (committees of experts that monitor implementation of the core international human rights treaties), and other UN human rights bodies. It also ensures human rights activities in the field.
For the core international human rights treaties, there are supervisory bodies that monitor the implementation of the relevant treaties by the states that have ratified them. Individuals whose rights have been violated can submit a complaint directly to the relevant committee.
