UPSC Articles
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.
