High commissionership of the United Nations to the human rights

The Haut-Commissariat of the United Nations to the human rights ( HCDH ) is one of the specialized agencies of the UNO the purpose of which is to promote, to control and inform about the respect of the Human rights in the world. The High-Commissioner current (2007) is Louise Arbor Canada.

The HCDH is attached directly to the General secretary of the United Nations.

Its seat is with Geneva.

In addition to the HCDH, the United Nations have other bodies charged to take care of the respect of the human rights:

Bodies of the human rights

There are two types of bodies:
  • those created under the terms of the Charter of UNO
  • those created under the terms of the international treaties of the human rights

Bodies of the Charter

Commission of human rights (CDH/CHR)

The Commission of the human rights was the supreme body of the the United Nations charged to take care of the respect of the Human rights. It was the principal world forum on this topic. Created in 1946, it included/understood 53 Member States, elected for three years and representing the five continents. It held each year with Geneva (Suisse) a six week old ordinary session, in March and in April, in which took part more than 3.000 representatives of Member States, observant States and governmental organizations.

The March 13rd 2006, the Commission of the human rights suspended its work, with the opening of its annual session, to give time to the Member States to agree on the creation of the Conseil of the human rights, which must succeed to him.

The the Council of the human rights

The March 15th 2006, the General meeting of UNO adopts by 170 votes (out of 191 Member States), the creation of the Conseil of the human rights, which will replace the Commission same name, in spite of the opposition of the the United States, which voted against, considering insufficient the new parapets posed to guarantee the exclusion of the undesirable countries. It is the too frequent presence, within the old Commission, of not very respectful country of the Human rights, which led to the replacement of a discredited U.N. body.

The new Council is a subsidiary body of the General meeting and thus has an institutional statute higher than that of the Commission which was a functional body of the Economic and Social Council.

The first election took place the May 9th 2006 and the term of the initial office of the members was determined by drawing lot.

The United States is opposed to the creation of the Council in this form. They had in the past highly criticized the old Commission, which they judged to have completely lost of its credibility following the presence of several countries violating the human rights. The guarantees brought by the creation of this new Council not satisfying them, they were not presented in the form of candidates to the first election.

The first meeting of the Council took place the June 19th 2006.

  • special Procedures of the Commission of the human rights

  • Sub-commission of the promotion and the protection of the human rights

Bodies of treaties

  • Committee of human rights (HRC)
  • Committee of the economic rights, social and cultural (CESCR)
  • Committee for the elimination of racial discrimination (CERD)
  • Committee for the elimination of discrimination with regard to women (CEDAW): CEDAW is also the acronym of Convention for the elimination of discrimination with regard to the women
  • Comité against torture (CAT)
  • Comité of the rights of child (CRC)
  • Comité of migrant worker (CMW)

High commissioners

See too

External bond

  • Official site

Random links:Satyendranath Bump | October 23rd in the railroads | International airport of Punta Cana | Steve Edwards | Driving control | Péninsule_de_Californie