United Nations Commission on Human Rights

The UN Commission on Human Rights (English: United Nations Commission on Human Rights (CHR ) ) was set up under Article 68 of the UN Charter Commission of the United Nations for the promotion and protection of internationally binding human rights. It existed from 1946 to 2006 and was replaced by the UN Human Rights Council.

The UN Human Rights Commission is not to be confused with the UN Human Rights Committee (English: Human Rights Committee), the UN treaty body that monitors compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Formation and development

The horrific experiences of the genocide and the warfare of World War II convinced the international community that a close relationship between individual human rights, international peace and security existed. States that violate the natural, innate rights of its citizens, it was thought, threatened its neighbors and the international system as a whole. For this reason, we came to the conclusion that only an international peace and security system in the future could maintain order. The establishment of a Human Rights Commission was the logical consequence of this new world view in which peace, security and human rights were seen as interdependent. The Panel was established in 1946 and was accountable as a subsidiary organ of the UN Economic and Social Council. Originally, the meetings were held in New York and then alternately in Geneva and New York, until 1974 moved the human rights section of the UN all the way to Geneva. With the numerical increase of the Member States of the United Nations, the number of members of the Commission on Human Rights was gradually increased from an initial 18 to 53 members last. The members were elected by the UN Economic and Social Council for a three year period after a geographic regional key, ie each region received a certain number of members. An immediate re-election of states was possible and temporary unlimited - so it was great powers also possible to be quasi -permanent member of the Human Rights Commission. The Commission on Human Rights was replaced in 2006 due to the criticism of being unable to effectively stand up for the protection of human rights by the UN Human Rights Council.

Operation

The commission meets annually in a six-week period from March to April. Due to the limited duration of each meeting a timely response to acute episodes of human rights abuses was not possible. To remedy this problem, there have been since 1990 the possibility in cases of serious human rights violations hold special meetings; since 1993, there were also special procedural rules for their convening and conduct. The session expiration of MRK was organized in an agenda with various agenda items, each of which is individual to another specific thematic area related to human rights or covering on procedural questions about the operation of MRK. At the end of each meeting, the MRC had a report on the main results of the debates organized by the individual agenda items, to submit the adopted resolutions and decisions, as well as draft documents to the UN Economic and Social Council. Was to assess the human rights situation in certain countries up to the Commission. It came within the body repeatedly to controversy over the selection of the countries to which the Special Rapporteur will eventually be sent. In addition to these reports, they also went notices of individual human rights complaints according to according to the ICCPR. The Human Rights Commission was able to demonstrate in the field of codification of human rights Verbürgungen successes ( the so-called "standard setting" phase): Thus, among other things, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Commission elaborated.

The control authorities of their international legal codifications, however, there were limits, they could only find violations of human rights and publicly condemn. Decisions on measures to enforce and protect the rights have been and will be taken by the UN Security Council, where appropriate, the participation of the UN General Assembly.

At the annual meetings of almost all Member States of the United Nations and about 200 non-governmental organizations were represented as observers.

Criticism

The longer persistence of the Commission became more and further disrepute and numerous media, NGOs, government officials accused the Commission lack of credibility and efficiency before that primarily related to four points:

Detachment

As part of the reform efforts of the United Nations, the UN General Assembly decided on 18 March 2006, an agreement by 180 votes for the establishment of the UN Human Rights Council as the successor organization, the UN Human Rights Commission. The Commission was advised by many sites in the criticism of not being able to effectively stand up for the protection of human rights.

The initiative for the creation of the Human Rights Council goes on the High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change and its report " A more secure world: our shared responsibility " back who had an analysis of the institutional capacity of the United Nations to content. The Panel made ​​the proposal to establish the Human Rights Council as a principal organ of the United Nations, ie the Security Council or the General Assembly equated. At the World Summit in 2005 then the Heads of State and Government, to replace the Commission on Human Rights, among others, and be replaced by the Human Rights Council. The negotiations on the establishment of the Human Rights Council were then begun.