UNGA selected 15 new members for HRC
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a key body within the UN system, established to promote and protect human rights globally. It was created by the UN General Assembly on March 15, 2006, replacing the former UN Commission on Human Rights. The Council is headquartered at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland.
The UNHRC comprises 47 member states elected by the General Assembly for staggered three-year terms, ensuring regional representation. The seats are distributed among five regional groups: African States (13 seats), Asia-Pacific States (13 seats), Eastern European States (6 seats), Latin American and Caribbean States (8 seats), and Western European and Other States (7 seats). Members can serve up to two consecutive terms before a mandatory break [[❞]](https://www.ohchr.org/en/events/sessions/2024/human-rights-council-57th-regular-session) [[❞]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Human_Rights_Council).
The Council holds three regular sessions each year—in March, June, and September—and can convene special sessions to address urgent human rights issues. These sessions involve the examination of human rights situations in various countries and thematic issues such as freedom of expression, women's rights, and the rights of minorities [[❞]](https://www.ohchr.org/en/events/sessions/2024/human-rights-council-57th-regular-session) [[❞]](https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/regular-sessions).
One of the key mechanisms of the UNHRC is the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which assesses the human rights records of all UN member states every four years. Additionally, the Council oversees special procedures, which include independent experts and working groups that investigate and report on human rights violations globally [[❞]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Human_Rights_Council).
Despite its critical role, the UNHRC has faced criticism for including member states with poor human rights records. This has raised concerns about the credibility and effectiveness of the Council in addressing human rights abuses impartially [[❞]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Human_Rights_Council).
For more detailed information about the UNHRC and its activities, you can visit the [official UNHRC website](https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc) or its [Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Human_Rights_Council).
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