The United Nations Comission on Human Rights was established in 1946 in order to protect peoples fundamental rights and freedoms. Today, it responds to a whole range of human rights problems as well as acting as a forum where countries, non- governmental groups and human rights defenders from arround the world voice their concerns.
There are seven core International Human Rights Treaties:
Human Rights Committee (HRC)
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
Committee Against Torture (CAT)
Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW)
When a counrty ratifies one of the treaties, it is obliged to implement the rights recongnized in that treaty. the country must submit regular reports to the human rights monitoring committee of the treaty. Some of the treaty bodies may also receive information on the country’s human rights situation from non- governmental organisations, intergovernmental organisations, UN Agencies and the press. Based on all information availiable, as well as a dialog, the Committee publishes its concerns and recommendations.
Almost every United Nations body and agencies are somehow involved in the protection of human rights. The Human Rights Law is a universal and internationally protected code of human rights, to which all nations can subscribe.
Refugees
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was established in 1950 by the United Nations Generay Assembly. The agency is leading and co-ordinationg international action to protect refugees and resolve problems related to refugees around the world. It is working on refugees right to seek asylum and find safe refuge, being integrated locally or resettle in anouther country.
The agency has helped an estimated 50 million refugees. Today, staff in 116 countries help about 19.2 million people. The International refugee law provides a framework for UNHCR’s humanitarian activities.
