Global human rights crises and concerns are never far for the front pages of the world’s major newspapers, nor far from the screens of our TVs and iPads. Yet this major study of global media trends, conducted by the Universal Rights Group (URG) with the support of the Federal Republic of Germany, shows that the body established by the international community …
The Human Rights Council in 2016
The ‘Human Rights Council in 2016’ report provides a critique of the main events, developments, successes and failures of the Human Rights Council in 2016. The review includes: – A quantitative analysis of the Council’s work in 2016, as well as since the body’s establishment in 2006. This includes the number of resolutions adopted; the number of voted resolutions; the number …
The Human Rights Council’s relationships with the UN General Assembly and UN Security Council
As the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (‘the Council’) celebrates it tenth anniversary in 2016, this policy paper aims to provide an overview of the institutional issues relating to its status as a subsidiary body within the UN system. In light of its subsidiary status, the paper explores the Council’s synergies and interactions with its parent body – the …
Human rights implementation, compliance and prevention (‘Glion III’ report)
In 2006, the then UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, called on the Council to lead the international community from “the era of declaration” to “the era of implementation.” As the Council marks its 10th, and the two human rights Covenants their 50th anniversaries, there are important signs that UN Member States are increasingly turning their attention to the question of implementation, and how best …
Candidates for the post of UN secretary-general: Where do they stand on human rights?
During the summer of 2016, the URG conducted a human rights-based assessment of the candidates competing to fill the post of UN Secretary-General. A new policy brief on: ‘Candidates for the post of UN Secretary-General: where do they stand on human rights?’ presents an overview of the selection and appointment procedure of the UN Secretary-General, and a summary of each …
Towards the third cycle of the UPR: stick or twist?
In 2005, Heads of State meeting at the UN’s World Summit resolved to create the Human Rights Council and asked the President of the General Assembly to begin negotiations to establish its mandate, functions, composition and working methods. One of the defining outcomes of those negotiations would be the decision to establish, as a central pillar of the Council’s work, …
The Human Rights Council in 2015
2015 will be remembered for many important initiatives and developments, from the body’s work to support human rights in Sri Lanka to the creation of a new Special Procedures mandate on the right to privacy. This new report on ‘The Human Rights Council in 2015,’ published by the Universal Rights Group and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway as part …
Human rights, climate change and cross-border displacement: the role of the international human rights community in contributing to effective and just solutions
The links between climate change and human rights are more widely accepted than ever before. The Human Rights Council has adopted a series of resolutions calling attention to the effects of climate change on the full enjoyment of human rights, and the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC has also recognised that ‘the adverse effects of climate change have …
Glion Human Rights Dialogue 2015: the Human Rights Council at 10: improving relevance, strengthening impact
In 2006, member States took a significant step towards strengthening the human rights pillar of the United Nations by establishing, with General Assembly resolution 60/251, the Human Rights Council. Since then the Council has grown significantly in confidence and stature, positioning itself as a relevant and influential political body in the multilateral arena, and has registered important achievements at both …
The road from principles to practice: Today’s challenges for business in respecting human rights
This policy report, prepared by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), analyses levels of respect for human rights among businesses around the world. The policy report contains the final results of a global survey of nearly 900 CEOs, designed to understand their views, perceptions, strategies and actions in the area of human rights. The survey and the resulting EIU report aim to understand …
