Mandate of UN Human Rights

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote and protect the enjoyment and full realization, by all people, of all human rights. The Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and international human rights laws and treaties established those rights.

UN Human Rights was created by the General Assembly in 1993 through its resolution 48/141 which also details its mandate.

UN Human Rights is mandated:

• Promote and protect all human rights for all
• Recommend that bodies of the UN system improve the promotion and protection of all human rights
• Promote and protect the right to development
• Provide technical assistance to States for human rights activities
• Coordinate UN human rights education and public information programmes
• Work actively to remove obstacles to the realization of human rights and to prevent the continuation of human rights violations
• Engage in dialogue with Governments in order to secure respect for all human rights
• Enhance international cooperation for the promotion and protection of all human rights
• Coordinate human rights promotion and protection activities throughout the United Nations system
• Rationalize, adapt, strengthen and streamline the UN human rights machinery