The Role of the United Nations Human Rights Council - Report Example

The Role of the United Nations Human Rights Council Table of Contents I. Introduction ……………………………………………………………….. 3 II. Factors behind the Establishment of the United Nations Human Rights Council ……………………………………………………………. 4 III. The Role of the United Nations Human Rights Council ……………. 5 IV. Discussion ………………………………………………………………… 6 V. Conclusion ……………………………………………………………….. 7 References ……………………………………………………………………….. 9 - 10 Introduction Discrimination on human rights issues is a very serious problem worldwide. To fight against human rights discrimination, the Charter of the United Nations which seeks to preserve the human rights, dignity and self-worth of each person through the promotion of equal rights of men and women in different nations by developing a society that implements and practice a strong legal justice that will protect the human rights of the people and promote a better economic and social advancement for all1 came into force on the 24th of October 1945.2 In line with the United Nations’ effort to maintain international peace and security, the Charter of the United Nations developed both the charter-based and the treaty-based human rights bodies3 that will address the human rights complaints procedures that were been extended to the local and international people. Particularly the United Nations Human Rights Council which was introduced back in March 15, 2006 under the GA resolution 60/251; is part of the charter-based human rights bodies.4 For this study, the researcher will discuss the role of the United Nations Human Rights Council in the United Nations’ effort in protecting the people and promoting the human rights. Prior to conclusion, the researcher will discuss the impact of United Nations Human Rights Council in protecting the global human rights. Factors behind the Establishment of the United Nations Human Rights Council After the September 11 incidence in the United States, the credibility of the Commission on Human Rights in protecting the human rights of the victims became a subject on public debate. The problem with the Commission is the fact that it failed to meet its goal because of too much politicization5 aside from the fact that it lacks a constructive engagement on behalf of its members.6 With the United Nation’s effort to make the necessary reformation, the Commission on Human Rights Council was replaced with the Human Rights Council with the purpose of having more authoritative power in monitoring the human rights violations in selected countries and other issues related to global human rights in 2006.7 According to Annan, the new Human Rights Council is expected to be the solution to the increasing problems that has been directly related to the Commission on Human Rights.8 Basically, the Human Rights Council was designed in a way that it has more central institutional status or a quasi-permanent body within the United Nations that is required to go through a group meeting every after 10 – 12 weeks annually. 9 A more regular meeting could prevent possible issues on future politicization behind the human rights protection. The Role of the United Nations Human Rights Council The main role of the Human Rights Council is to “promote a universally accepted, indivisible, interrelated, interdependent, and mutually reinforcing way of protecting all the human rights and fundamental freedoms.”10 It is also mandated that the Human Rights Council should promote a universal framework on human rights without any specific distinction in relation to race, gender, colour, religion, politics, national origin, financial status, or language. In the process, the Human Rights Council are required to consider the significance of culture, religious belief, political, and economic systems in each nation and region with the existing human rights policies.11 In other words, the Human Rights Council should perform their duty in a fair and equal manner. In line with the role of the Human Rights Council, the organization deals with the major issues or offender on human rights aside from the fact that it also address the violations on human rights by promoting a better coordination of human rights among all the members of United Nations.12 A good communication line among the organizations that handles the human rights concerns in each members of the United Nations is essential since it could effectively allow the Human Rights Council to design and implement a universal framework that could protect the equal human rights of the people and legally address problem issues related to violating the human rights. In the process of promoting universally accepted human rights, the Council is responsible in promoting the human rights education aside from providing the general public easily accessible open advisory services or by publishing of universal periodic reviews. 13 The Human Rights Council should also provide technical assistance or necessary consultation to guide and protect the victims of human rights violation from the offenders aside from developing and implementing useful international law to enhance the guidelines on human rights.14 Since 2006, the Human Rights Council has been exerting effort on protecting the women’s right globally.15 It also handles several issues related to situations wherein children are directly or indirectly involved in armed conflict, the human rights violations that is related to the sexual orientation or gender identity of a person as well as other similar situations of human rights that are happening in different countries around the world.16 Discussion Despite the United Nation’s effort to promote a better society that protects and promote the equal human rights to each person globally, there are still a lot of countries that practice human rights violation. Today, there are as much as 260 million people worldwide who are currently experiencing‘modern-day slavery’ throughout the diverse places in the Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.17 Considering the presence of global women’s movement; there are still a high number women and young girls who are socially discriminated and deprived from education due to gender discrimination. Some of these women and young girls from the third world countries are even forcefully lead to prostitution because of poverty.18 Conclusion The implementation of the Human Rights Council was due to the shortcomings of the United Nation’s Commission on Human Rights in relation to the September 11 incidence in the United States. In line with enhancing the guidelines on the Commission on Human Rights, the United Nations decided to replace the Commission with the Human Rights Council. The Role of the Human Rights Council is to universal framework on human rights, solve issues related to violating the human rights, educate the people on human rights, and implement useful international law to enhance the guidelines on human rights. Despite the effort to promote a global human rights protection, the fact that millions of people globally suffer from gender-based discrimination makes it unclear as to whether or not the implementation of Human Rights Council has a positive impact on minimizing the human rights violation on a global perspective. *** End *** References: Bevilacqua, C. (2008). United Nations Human Rights Council. Puebla Mexico : World Mun. Goder, B. (2007). The UN Human Rights Council: Reflections on the First Year. Event Co-Sponsored by the Harvard University Committee on Human Rights Studies and the Consulate of Switzerland in Cambridge. House of Representatives. (2007). 110th Congress, First Session, H. Con. Res. 139. Expressing the Sense of the Congress that the United States Should Address the Ongoing Problem of Untouchability in India. Human Rights Council. (2006). Resolution Adopted by the General Assembly: 60/251. United Nations. General Assembly Sixtieth Session Agenda Items 46 and 120. IMADR. (2002, August 22). [Online] Retrieved February 13, 2008, from The Global Dimensions of Discrimination Based on Caste and Analogous Systems of Inherited Status addressed in Historic UN Decisions: http://www.imadr.org/geneva/2002/CERD2002.summer.IDSN.statement..htm Manorama, R. (2006). Human Rights and Dignity of Dalit Women. Report of the Conference in the Hague. Foreword. Mohammad-Mahmoud, M. (2007). The Human Rights Council One Year Later, event Co-Sponsored by the Harvard University Committee on Human RIghts Studies and the Consulate of Switzerland in Cambridge. Nations, U. (2006). Sixtieth General Assembly Plenary - 72nd Meeting. General Assembly Establishes New Human Rights Council by Vote of 170 in Favour to 4 Against, with 3 Abstentions. United Nations General Assembly GA/10449. The United Nations Office at Geneva. (2006, December 1). [Online] Retrieved February 13, 2008, from Council Takes Up Various Issues Including Children in Armed Conflict, Sexual Orientation and Violations in Certain Countries: http://www.unog.ch/unog/website/news_media.nsf/(httpNewsByYear_en)/22C064053260CE08C12572370055D7FC?OpenDocument United Nations. (2008a). [Online] Retrieved February 13, 2008, from Charter of the United Nations: We the Peoples of the United Nations... United For a Better World: http://www.un.org/aboutun/charter/ United Nations. (2008b). [Online] Retrieved February 13, 2008, from Charter of the United Nations: We the Peoples of the United Nations... United for a Better World - Introduction: http://www.un.org/aboutun/charter/ United Nations. (2008c). [Online] Retrieved February 13, 2008, from United Nations Documentation: Research Guide on Humn Rights: http://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/resguide/spechr.htm Read More