United Nations Commission on Human Rights was an agency of the United Nations (UN) that worked to protect the rights and freedoms of all people. It was established in 1946 as part of the UN’s Economic and Social Council. The commission held its final meeting in March 2006.
Loading the player...Eleanor Roosevelt on human rights
The UN Commission on Human Rights met annually in Geneva, Switzerland. It also held special sessions when urgent action was needed. About 50 countries belonged to the commission.
The commission studied human-rights issues and prepared recommendations and guidelines for guaranteeing such rights. The commission wrote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which the UN General Assembly approved in 1948. It also carried out special tasks assigned to it by the UN, such as investigating claims of human-rights violations.
In March 2006, the UN General Assembly voted to replace the commission with a new body called the Human Rights Council. The new council meets regularly throughout the year to address human-rights issues. The council held its first meetings in June 2006.
