How Effective Is The New Human Rights Council Compared To The Old Commission - Essay Example

First and foremost, the structure of the Human Rights Council and the Commission on Human Rights has basic differences. In 1946, the UNCHR was formed, as an adjunct of the Economic and Social Council, with the primary purpose of establishing the international legal institutions that secures fundamental rights and freedoms (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2007). It was made up of 53 member nations. The Commission eventually expanded to allow the organization to address the different human rights problems by setting minimum requirements which would govern the behaviour of member states (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2007).

Its regular annual sessions were conducted in Geneva and it had about 3,000 delegates from member countries and from observing states. In these sessions, the organization was able to pass more than a hundred resolutions and regulations which covered important matters relevant to the proper functioning of the different regions in the world (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2007). The Commission worked in coordination with the sub-commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, with several working groups and other experts and representatives assigned to report on specific issues.

In 2006, the United Nations General Assembly passed GA Resolution 60/251 and created the Human Rights Council (HRC). The HRC is still very much an intergovernmental agency operating; however it is now under the direct control of the General Assembly. It is composed of 47 member states and is primarily in charge of safeguarding and advancing the protection of human rights all around the world. The council has been created to take charge of situations involving the violation of human rights and thereinafter make recommendations on how these violations should be addressed by the United Nations (Office of the