Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Org type	Agency
Status	Active
Headquarters	Geneva, Switzerland New York City, United States

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is a special part of the United Nations that works to protect and promote human rights around the world. These rights are set out in international laws, especially in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from 1948. The OHCHR was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 20, 1993, after a big meeting called the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights.

The person in charge of the OHCHR is called the High Commissioner for Human Rights. This person helps coordinate all human rights activities across the United Nations. They also act as the main support for the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. The current High Commissioner is Volker Türk from Austria, who started his role on September 8, 2022.

In 2018–2019, the OHCHR had a budget of about US$201.6 million. It had around 1,300 employees working in Geneva and New York City.

What is the OHCHR's Mission?
- Why the OHCHR is Important
How the OHCHR is Organized
High Commissioners for Human Rights
Challenges and Concerns
See also

What is the OHCHR's Mission?

The OHCHR at the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Kenya.

The OHCHR's job comes from the main rules of the United Nations, like the Charter of the United Nations. Its mission was made clearer by the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and a special decision by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993. In 1997, the OHCHR joined with another human rights group to become one stronger office.

Why the OHCHR is Important

The main goals of the OHCHR are to:

Help everyone enjoy all their human rights.
Be a leader on human rights issues globally.
Encourage countries to work together to protect human rights.
Make sure human rights are a key part of all United Nations work.
Promote that all countries agree to and follow international human rights rules.
Help create new human rights rules when needed.
Support groups and treaties that monitor human rights.
Act when serious human rights violations happen.
Work to prevent human rights problems.
Help countries set up their own human rights organizations.
Do human rights work directly in different countries.
Offer education, information, and help on human rights.

How the OHCHR is Organized

The OHCHR is split into different teams, each with specific tasks. The High Commissioner leads the entire office.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights

The High Commissioner is the head of the OHCHR. They are responsible for all the office's activities and how it is run. They advise the Secretary-General on human rights policies. They also make sure that human rights projects and groups get the support they need. The High Commissioner represents the Secretary-General at human rights meetings and events. They also work to promote human rights that are not yet fully recognized in international law, like some economic, social and cultural rights.

The Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights

The High Commissioner gets help from a Deputy High Commissioner. This person takes charge when the High Commissioner is away. The Deputy also handles specific tasks given by the High Commissioner. The current Deputy High Commissioner is Kate Gilmore from Australia.

Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights (New York Office)

This person is based in New York City and leads the OHCHR office there. Their job is to make sure human rights are included in the plans and activities of the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The post was created in 2010. Since 2020, Ilze Brands Kehris [fr] has held this position.

Key Divisions of the OHCHR

The OHCHR has several important divisions that focus on different areas of human rights work:

Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division

This division works to promote the right to development, which means helping people achieve a better life where their human rights are respected. They also support the work of Special Procedures, which are independent experts who look into specific human rights issues or country situations. This team also does research on human rights topics and manages the OHCHR's information services.

Human Rights Council and Treaty Mechanisms Division

This division helps organize and support the meetings of the United Nations Human Rights Council and other groups that monitor human rights treaties. They prepare reports from countries that have signed human rights treaties and follow up on decisions made by these groups. They also handle complaints about human rights violations.

Field Operations and Technical Cooperation Division

This division works directly with governments to develop and carry out projects that help protect human rights. They manage funds for technical help in human rights. They also support human rights investigations and missions in different countries. This includes helping special investigators look into human rights situations around the world.

High Commissioners for Human Rights

Navi Pillay (center), who was High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014.

**United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights**
Name	Country	Term	Notes
José Ayala Lasso	Ecuador	1994–1997
Mary Robinson	Ireland	1997–2002
Sérgio Vieira de Mello	Brazil	2002–2003	Died in a bombing in Baghdad in 2003.
Bertrand Ramcharan	Guyana	2003–2004	Acting High Commissioner
Louise Arbour	Canada	2004–2008
Navi Pillay	South Africa	1 September 2008 – 31 August 2014	Her term was extended for two more years.
Prince Zeid bin Ra'ad bin Zeid al-Hussein	Jordan	1 September 2014 – 31 August 2018
Michelle Bachelet	Chile	1 September 2018 – 31 August 2022
Volker Türk	Austria	8 September 2022 – 31 August 2026	Appointed by the Secretary-General and approved by the UN General Assembly.

Challenges and Concerns

The OHCHR sometimes faces challenges and concerns in its work.

In July 2025, High Commissioner Volker Türk spoke about the situation in Gaza. He described it as a difficult place with many people affected. He mentioned that a large number of Palestinians had been killed or injured since October 7, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

In 2020 and 2021, a journalist shared information that showed the OHCHR had given names of Chinese people involved in UN human rights activities to China when asked. This happened several times between 2012 and 2019, even though it was not allowed. In some cases, after China got the names from the UN, activists were stopped from leaving China to attend meetings in Geneva.

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights facts for kids

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