Welcome to the United Nations 
OHCHR 
Member States
Resources
Governments have the main responsibility for protecting the human rights of the people within their countries. The UN human rights system assists them by:
- strengthening their capacity in meeting their obligations
- advising them on new rights policies and institutions, and
- issuing recommendations through periodic reviews.
UN Human Rights Technical Cooperation
Human rights standards only have value if they are effectively implemented. States recovering from conflict or who lack adequate resources or expertise need assistance to implement their human rights obligations. UN Human Rights' Technical Cooperation Programme supports States' national efforts to protect human rights.
UN Human Rights Technical Cooperation Programme.
Human Rights Council
The Human Rights Council is the key United Nations intergovernmental body responsible for promoting and protecting human rights. Representatives of 47 Member States of the UN sit on the Council, each of them elected by the General Assembly.
Universal Periodic Review
The Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) assesses the human rights record of all 193 UN Member States every four years.
Special Procedures
The Council's Special procedures are independent experts who investigate and report on specific human rights thematic and country mandates.
- Special procedures main page
- Overview of visits by Special Procedures
- Upcoming country visits
- History of country visits since 1998
- Countries with standing invitations
Treaty bodies
Treaties are legally binding documents, consented to by Governments. By adopting international treaties, States agree to be legally bound to uphold the individual rights and freedoms of everyone under their jurisdiction. Ten committees of experts monitor countries' compliance with the treaties they have ratified.
- Schedule of country reviews
- Deadlines for the submission of documentation
- Information by country - ratification status, reporting cycles and documentation
- Elections of Treaty Body Members
Human Rights Databases
UN Human Rights manages a number of databases ranging from jurisprudence information repositories to interactive dashboards.