UN Human Rights Council

UN Human Rights Council

Part of: Prelims and GS – II – International Relations

Context India has been re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council (2022-24) for a record 6th term with an overwhelming majority.

• It vowed to continue to work for the promotion and protection of Human Rights through “Samman, Samvad and Sahyog.”

Key takeaways

• India’s current term was set to end on December 31 2021.
• Countries elected by the UN General Assembly through secret ballot: Argentina, Benin, Cameroon, Eritrea, Finland, Gambia, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Montenegro, Paraguay, Qatar, Somalia, UAE and the US.
• USA, which had quit the council in 2018 under the previous Donald Trump’s regime, was re-elected to the global rights body for a period of three-and-a-half years.

About UN Human Rights Council 

• It is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations which consists of 47 Member States elected directly and individually by secret ballot by the majority of the members of the General Assembly.
• Location: Geneva.
• Establishment: It was founded in 2006.
• Functions: (1) It investigates allegations of breaches of human rights in UN member states; (2) It also addresses important thematic human rights issues such as freedom of expression, women’s rights, LGBT rights, and the rights of racial and ethnic minorities.
• The members of the Council shall serve for a period of three years and shall not be eligible for immediate re-election after two consecutive terms.
• The membership is based on equitable geographical distribution.