United Nations Human Rights Council is a group within the United Nations (UN) that works to protect the rights and freedoms of all people. The council encourages worldwide respect for human rights and seeks to address situations where rights are violated. It also reviews the human-rights records of all UN members. The Human Rights Council consists of 47 member countries, which are elected by the UN General Assembly. The council meets in Geneva, Switzerland, regularly throughout the year.
From 1946 to 2006, the chief UN body responsible for safeguarding human rights was the UN Commission on Human Rights. The commission met annually and prepared recommendations and guidelines for the protection of rights and freedoms. However, by the early 2000’s, many people believed that the commission lacked credibility and needed reform. Critics charged that certain members of the commission—such as Libya and Sudan—had poor human-rights records themselves. In March 2006, the UN General Assembly voted to replace the commission with the Human Rights Council. The council held its first meetings in June 2006.
