United Nations Human Rights Council facts for kids
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is in the United Nations System. The UNHRC took the place of the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights (CHR). It was established by the United Nations General Assembly.
The General Assembly made the UNHRC on 15 March 2006. This was to replace the previous CHR. People did not like the CHR because they allowed countries with poor human rights records to be members.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson have not liked that the council acts for politics instead of human rights. Several people have said the council focuses too much on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The United States did not take part in the Council when George W. Bush was president. They changed when Barack Obama became President.
On 18 June 2007, the UNHRC made a plan for future work. They will assess the human rights in all 192 UN Member States. They will also allow people and organizations to bring complaints about human rights violations to the attention of the Council.
Presidents
- Mr. Luis Alfonso de Alba (Mexico) 19 June 2006 to 18 June 2007.
- Mr. Doru Romulus Costea (Romania) 19 June 2007 to 18 June 2008.
- Mr. Martin Ihoeghian Uhomoibhi (Nigeria) 19 June 2008 to 18 June 2009.
- Mr. Alex Van Meeuwen (Belgium) 19 June 2009 to 18 June 2010.
- Mr. Sihasak Phuangketkeow (Thailand) 19 June 2010 to 18 June 2011.
- Laura Dupuy Lasserre (Uruguay)19 June 2011 to current.
Images for kids
-
Protest at UN against China's re-election in the Human Rights Council
-
Saudi Arabian-led airstrikes in Yemen, June 2015. Saudi Arabia is operating without a UN mandate.
See also
In Spanish: Consejo de Derechos Humanos de las Naciones Unidas para niños
