Human Rights Council
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is an inter-governmental body created by the United Nations General Assembly that replaced the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, on 15 March 2006 through resolution 60/251. The Council is responsible for all human rights issues, specially strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights violations and make recommendations on them. The human rights are rights made to all human beings, independent of their nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, place of residence or any status.
There are 47 Member States on the Council, which are elected by the UN General Assembly. Working along the Council are the Universal Periodic Review that assess the human rights situations in all UN Member States; the Advisory Committee that provides expertise and advice to the Council on thematic human rights issues; and the Complaint Procedure where individuals and organizations can bring human rights violation to the Council assistance. There is also the UN Special Procedures, which has experts to monitor, examine, advise and publicly reports about human rights issue from specific countries.
The Council membership is based on equitable geographical distribution: 13 members are from Asia, 13 from Africa, 6 from Eastern Europe, 8 from Latin America and the Caribbean, and 7 from Western Europe and other states.
Topics Oveview
Topic B: The Challenge of Women Empowerment and Human Rights Violations in South Asia and Adjacent Areas
One of the purposes of the United Nations is to promote and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all. The UN Member States assume obligations and duties under international law to respect, to protect and fulfill these human rights.
Civil and political rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights are basic for a decent life standard. Education is both a human right itself and an undisposable way of realizing other human rights, which should be extended to all human beings, regardless of their nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, place of residence or any status.
In 2000, 188 heads of the state from around the world signed the Millennium Declaration about gender equality in primary and secondary education, but unfortunately the current situation for girls in the education sector is not satisfactory. The fulfillment of these rights is even harder in countries where the Taliban is in power, they have affected severely the education system, which suffered a lot in Pakistan, Palestine, Iraq and many other countries.
The attack on Malala Yousafzai on October 2012 in Pakistan by the Taliban showed once more to the international community the violation of individual rights and freedom which happens in Muslim countries, particularly with children and women. With 20 million children already out of school in Pakistan, it is critical that quality education reaches all children, particularly the most vulnerable and disadvantaged.
Topic A: The Conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic and the Situation of the Civilian and Non-Combatant Population
Inspired by other countries in the so called “Arab Spring”, the Syrian population engaged in a series of manifestations which brought a harsh* response by the government. The peaceful protests began in 2011 and soon turned into a civil war that lasts until now. The situation in Syria clearly violates international human rights and humanitarian law.
Since Syrian government has blocked the entrance of any journalist in their territory, it’s complicated to international media to compile official information about theconflict. Therefore, activists have been trying to show the situation mainly through the internet with amateur photos and videos of the atrocities – there are reports of torture, enforced disappearances, prohibition to attend the wounded, and so on. It’s important to consider that most of victims are civilians and non-combatant population, according to UN estimates, more than 70.000 civilians have been killed since the beginning of the conflict.
There have not been many responses by the United Nations towards Bashar al-Assad’s regime, especially due to two permanent members of the Security Council: China and Russia. Nevertheless, there are some reactions from the League of Arab States like suspending Syria from the group and also sanctions from the European Union and from the United States of America.
