A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

The CHR is composed of 53 UN member States elected for three-year terms. It meets for six weeks every year to consider international human rights. During these meetings, the Commission discusses and passes resolutions. Only the members of the Commission are allowed to vote, though the meetings of the CHR are open to other member States of the UN and accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Non-members and observers are allowed to make speeches and lobby.

CHR resolutions may consider human rights in a particular State, such as Colombia or Myanmar, or they may contemplate specific themes of human rights, such as women's rights or the right to education. Commission resolutions operate in a number of ways. They can call international attention to a human rights problem, suggest specific State action, or they may institute a Special Procedure. Special Procedures are usually calls for further inquiry, either by an individual or a working group chosen by the Secretary-General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, or the Commission itself.

The Office of the High Commission for Human Rights assists the CHR and provides most of the administrative and substantive support needed for Commission meetings. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) plays an activist role, seeking to guide the work of the Commission from a perspective that is engaged with the international situation, but divorced from national political interests.

Click the links below for further information about the Commission on Human Rights.

The Commission on Human Rights

History of the CHR

Membership in the CHR

Participation by Civil Society

Agenda and Resolutions

The Use of Special Procedures

Other UN Human Rights Bodies

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