{ "id": "RL33608", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "RL", "number": "RL33608", "active": true, "source": "CRSReports.Congress.gov, EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source_dir": "crsreports.congress.gov", "title": "The United Nations Human Rights Council: Background and Policy Issues", "retrieved": "2022-03-03T04:03:39.335988", "id": "RL33608_60_2022-01-26", "formats": [ { "filename": "files/2022-01-26_RL33608_210ed08a00c9b90e9cf9b77f7fad53d4f17ccc70.pdf", "format": "PDF", "url": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL33608/60", "sha1": "210ed08a00c9b90e9cf9b77f7fad53d4f17ccc70" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/2022-01-26_RL33608_210ed08a00c9b90e9cf9b77f7fad53d4f17ccc70.html" } ], "date": "2022-01-26", "summary": null, "source": "CRSReports.Congress.gov", "typeId": "RL", "active": true, "sourceLink": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/details?prodcode=RL33608", "type": "CRS Report" }, { "source_dir": "crsreports.congress.gov", "title": "The United Nations Human Rights Council: Background and Policy Issues", "retrieved": "2022-03-03T04:03:39.333121", "id": "RL33608_57_2020-11-25", "formats": [ { "filename": "files/2020-11-25_RL33608_5ee6fcc9e8e0de7bf291add5c133b56e0a8a48e7.pdf", "format": "PDF", "url": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL33608/57", "sha1": "5ee6fcc9e8e0de7bf291add5c133b56e0a8a48e7" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/2020-11-25_RL33608_5ee6fcc9e8e0de7bf291add5c133b56e0a8a48e7.html" } ], "date": "2020-11-25", "summary": null, "source": "CRSReports.Congress.gov", "typeId": "RL", "active": true, "sourceLink": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/details?prodcode=RL33608", "type": "CRS Report" }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 623174, "date": "2020-04-20", "retrieved": "2020-04-28T22:15:38.274649", "title": "The United Nations Human Rights Council: Background and Policy Issues", "summary": "Over the years, many Members of Congress have demonstrated an ongoing interest in the role and effectiveness of the United Nations (U.N.) Human Rights Council (the Council). The Council is the primary intergovernmental body mandated with addressing human rights on a global level. The United States was a member of the Council for two three-year terms during the Obama Administration, and a third term during the first part of the Trump Administration. In June 2018, the Trump Administration withdrew from the Council, noting concerns with the Council\u2019s focus on Israel, overall ineffectiveness in addressing human rights issues, and lack of reform. Some of the Council\u2019s activities are suspended or being implemented remotely due to concerns about COVID-19. \nBackground\nThe U.N. General Assembly established the Human Rights Council in 2006 to replace the Commission on Human Rights, which was criticized for its ineffectiveness in addressing human rights abuses and for the number of widely perceived human rights abusers that served as its members. Since 2006, many governments and observers have expressed serious concerns with the Council\u2019s disproportionate attention to Israel and apparent lack of attention to other pressing human rights situations. In particular, some criticize the inclusion of the \u201chuman rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories\u201d (Israel) as a permanent item on the Council\u2019s agenda. Some are also concerned that countries widely perceived as human rights abusers, such as Saudi Arabia, China, and Venezuela, have served (or are serving) as Council members. On the other hand, supporters argue that the Council is an improvement over the previous commission. They contend that the Council\u2019s Universal Periodic Review process, which aims to evaluate each member state\u2019s fulfillment of its human rights obligations, is a useful means for addressing human rights issues. Many observers are encouraged by the Council\u2019s increased attention to human rights situations in countries such as Iran, North Korea, and Syria. \nU.S. Policy and Selected Issues\nOver the years, U.S. policymakers have debated U.S. participation in and funding of the Council. The George W. Bush Administration voted against the General Assembly resolution creating the Council and did not run for membership (as it had as a member of the previous Commission on Human Rights); it also decided to withhold U.S. funding to the organization in FY2008 under a provision enacted by Congress. Conversely, the Obama Administration supported the overall purpose of the Council and decided that it was better to work from within as a member to improve Council effectiveness. The Obama Administration was also critical of the Council\u2019s focus on Israel, sometimes boycotting debates on the issue. The United States was elected to the Council in 2009 and in 2012. In October 2016, it was elected for a third term, which began in January 2017. The United States remained a member during the Trump Administration until mid-2018, when it withdrew. \nSome Members of Congress maintain an ongoing interest in the credibility and effectiveness of the Council. Some Members have been particularly critical of both the Council\u2019s focus on Israel and lack of competitive Council elections. Some Members have proposed or enacted legislation calling for U.S. withdrawal; at the same time, others have introduced legislation urging the Council to address specific human rights situations. Most recently, the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94), prohibits Council funding unless the Secretary of State determines that U.S. participation is important to the national interest of the United States, and that the Council is taking steps to remove Israel as a permanent agenda item and ensure the integrity of Council elections (a similar provision was enacted in previous fiscal years). The Trump Administration withheld Council funding from FY2017 through FY2019; as of February 2020, a decision had not been made about FY2020 funding. Members of the 116th Congress may consider the following issues related to the Council:\nthe benefits and drawbacks of Council membership; \nthe impact, if any, of the U.S. decision to withhold Council funding on Council activities or U.S. influence;\nalternatives to the Council for promoting U.S. interests in human rights; \nhow, if at all, to address the Council\u2019s apparent disproportionate focus on Israel; and \nconcerns that the Council\u2019s work is increasingly influenced by countries that do not fully subscribe to international human rights norms and mechanisms.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL33608", "sha1": "1abc2d3d34df067400721f9b9f547fe0638371f2", "filename": "files/20200420_RL33608_1abc2d3d34df067400721f9b9f547fe0638371f2.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=RL/html/RL33608_files&id=/1.png": "files/20200420_RL33608_images_5ced5bcde2612d585cf466f87d17ea3ed5d43aa7.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=RL/html/RL33608_files&id=/0.png": "files/20200420_RL33608_images_94deae25cf6681c5e770ccce6fe8b11b3a488f5f.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL33608", "sha1": "ebb7f77e00b970878a8e1d1bb63a84d08026fdf1", "filename": "files/20200420_RL33608_ebb7f77e00b970878a8e1d1bb63a84d08026fdf1.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4787, "name": "State Department & International Organizations" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 592484, "date": "2019-02-26", "retrieved": "2019-12-20T19:55:00.268910", "title": "The United Nations Human Rights Council: Background and Policy Issues", "summary": "Over the years, many Members of Congress have demonstrated an ongoing interest in the role and effectiveness of the United Nations (U.N.) Human Rights Council (the Council). The Council is the primary intergovernmental body mandated with addressing human rights on a global level. During the Obama Administration and the first part of the Trump Administration, the United States served three terms as a Council member. In June 2018, Trump Administration officials announced U.S. withdrawal from the Council, noting concerns with the Council\u2019s focus on Israel, overall ineffectiveness in addressing human rights issues, and lack of comprehensive reform. \nBackground\nThe U.N. General Assembly established the Human Rights Council in 2006 to replace the Commission on Human Rights, which was criticized for its apparent ineffectiveness in addressing human rights abuses and for the number of widely perceived human rights abusers that served as its members. Since 2006, many governments and observers have expressed serious concerns with the Council\u2019s disproportionate attention to Israel and apparent lack of attention to other pressing human rights situations. In particular, some criticize the inclusion of the \u201chuman rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories\u201d (Israel) as a permanent item on the Council\u2019s agenda. No other country-specific human rights situation is singled out in this manner. Some are also concerned that countries widely perceived as human rights abusers, such as Saudi Arabia, China, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, serve as Council members. On the other hand, supporters argue that the Council is an improvement over the previous commission. They contend that the Council\u2019s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process, which aims to evaluate each member state\u2019s fulfillment of its human rights obligations, is an effective means for addressing human rights issues in various countries. Many proponents of the Council are encouraged by its increased attention to human rights situations in countries such as Iran, North Korea, and Syria. \nU.S. Policy \nOver the years, U.S. policymakers have debated U.S. participation in and funding of the Human Rights Council. The George W. Bush Administration voted against the General Assembly resolution creating the Council and did not run for membership; it also decided to withhold U.S. funding to the organization in FY2008 under a provision enacted by Congress. Conversely, the Obama Administration supported the overall purpose of the Council and decided that it was better to work from within as a Council member to improve its effectiveness. The Obama Administration was also critical of the Council\u2019s focus on Israel, sometimes boycotting debates on the issue. The United States was elected to the Council in 2009 and in 2012. In October 2016, it was elected for a third term, which began in January 2017. The United States remained a member during the Trump Administration until mid-2018, when it announced its withdrawal. The Administration also withheld Council funding in FY2017 and FY2018. \nSome Members of Congress maintain an ongoing interest in the credibility and effectiveness of the Council. Members have been particularly critical of both the Council\u2019s focus on Israel and lack of competitive Council elections. Some Members have proposed or enacted legislation calling for U.S. withdrawal; at the same time, others have introduced legislation urging the Council to address specific human rights situations. Most recently, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (P.L. 116-6 ), prohibits Council funding unless the Secretary of State determines that U.S. participation is important to the national interest of the United States, and that the Council is taking steps to remove Israel as a permanent agenda item and ensure the integrity of Council elections.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL33608", "sha1": "9c7d684de7db3e830789849665b37a9025c79c70", "filename": "files/20190226_RL33608_9c7d684de7db3e830789849665b37a9025c79c70.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=RL/html/RL33608_files&id=/0.png": "files/20190226_RL33608_images_5ced5bcde2612d585cf466f87d17ea3ed5d43aa7.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL33608", "sha1": "9b669f3ab69085764cd34dff6f1db7dc3a92faf1", "filename": "files/20190226_RL33608_9b669f3ab69085764cd34dff6f1db7dc3a92faf1.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4787, "name": "State Department & International Organizations" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 573548, "date": "2017-09-27", "retrieved": "2018-05-10T12:28:18.255665", "title": "The United Nations Human Rights Council: Issues for Congress", "summary": "The United Nations (U.N.) Human Rights Council (the Council) is the primary intergovernmental body mandated with addressing human rights on a global level. Some Members of Congress have demonstrated an ongoing interest in the role and effectiveness of the Council. The United States is currently a Council member; its term will expire in January 2019. \nBackground\nThe U.N. General Assembly established the Human Rights Council in 2006 to replace the Commission on Human Rights, which was criticized for its apparent ineffectiveness in addressing human rights abuses and for the number of widely perceived human rights abusers that served as its members. Since 2006, many governments and observers have expressed serious concerns with the Council\u2019s focus on Israel and apparent lack of attention to other pressing human rights situations. In particular, some criticize the inclusion of the \u201chuman rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories\u201d (Israel) as a permanent item on the Council\u2019s agenda. No other country-specific human rights situation is singled out in this manner. \nOn the other hand, supporters argue that the Council is an improvement over the previous commission. They contend that the Council\u2019s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process, which aims to evaluate each member state\u2019s fulfillment of its human rights obligations, is an effective means for addressing human rights issues in various countries. Many proponents of the Council are encouraged by its increased attention to human rights situations in countries such as Iran, North Korea, and Syria. \nU.S. Policy\nOver the years, U.S. policymakers have debated the level and extent of U.S. participation in and funding of the Human Rights Council. The George W. Bush Administration voted against the General Assembly resolution creating the Council and did not run as a member; it also decided to withhold U.S. funding to the organization in FY2008 under a provision enacted by Congress. Conversely, the Obama Administration supported the overall purpose of the Council and decided that it was better to work from within as a Council member to improve the Council\u2019s effectiveness. At the same time, it was critical of the Council\u2019s focus on Israel, sometimes boycotting debates on the issue. The Trump Administration has expressed strong concern regarding the Council\u2019s effectiveness and its apparent focus on Israel. The United States was elected to the Council in 2009 and in 2012. In October 2016, it was elected for a third term, which began in January 2017.\nIssues for Congress\nMembers of the 115th Congress may consider the following policy issues and options regarding the Human Rights Council. \nU.S. funding. Some Members have proposed withholding a proportionate share of assessed contributions from the U.N. regular budget, which funds the Council, until substantive reforms are implemented. Withholding funds in this manner would likely be symbolic and have little impact on Council operations, since assessed contributions fund the entire U.N. regular budget and not specific parts of it. \nBenefits and drawbacks of U.S. membership. Many U.S. policymakers disagree as to whether the United States should be a member of the Council. Supporters contend that the United States should work from within to build coalitions and steer the Council toward a more balanced approach to addressing human rights. Opponents of U.S. participation maintain that the U.S. membership provides the Council with undeserved legitimacy and that the United States should not serve on a body that would allow human rights abusers to serve as members. \nPossible impact of observer status. Members may wish to take into account the role of Council observer, a status the United States would likely hold if it were to withdraw from the Council. Council observers are not eligible to vote in the Council but they may participate in the UPR process and may participate in regular and special sessions. \nAlternatives to the Council? Some U.S. policymakers and observers have suggested that if the United States were to withdraw from the Council, it could pursue its human rights priorities in other U.N. fora such as the General Assembly or the Security Council. Opponents contend that these bodies do not focus exclusively on human rights issues like the Council does, and that they lack key Council mechanisms, such as the UPR process and other related procedures.\nFocus on Israel. Many Members of Congress have expressed concern with what they view as the Council\u2019s disproportionate focus on Israel, including its inclusion as a permanent agenda item and the number of special sessions focusing on Israel compared to other human rights situations. The level and extent of the Council\u2019s focus on Israel moving forward is likely to continue to shape congressional and Administration views on U.S. participation in the Council.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL33608", "sha1": "036db8817aed674079453bf4c070f38f9f99bdb5", "filename": "files/20170927_RL33608_036db8817aed674079453bf4c070f38f9f99bdb5.html", "images": {} }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL33608", "sha1": "8a294c0f91b020252983ea6629ee0b9057e6cba1", "filename": "files/20170927_RL33608_8a294c0f91b020252983ea6629ee0b9057e6cba1.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4787, "name": "State Department & International Organizations" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 442770, "date": "2015-07-07", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T18:49:36.924488", "title": "The United Nations Human Rights Council: Issues for Congress", "summary": "On March 15, 2006, the U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution replacing the Commission on Human Rights with a new Human Rights Council (the Council). The Council was designed to be an improvement over the Commission, which was widely criticized for the composition of its membership when perceived human rights abusers were elected as members. The General Assembly resolution creating the Council modified voting procedures, increased the number of meetings per year, and introduced a \u201cUniversal Periodic Review\u201d process to assess each member state\u2019s fulfillment of its human rights obligations, among other things. \nThe United States, under the George W. Bush Administration, was one of four countries to vote against the resolution. The Administration maintained that the Council structure was no better than the Commission and that it lacked mechanisms for maintaining credible membership. During the Council\u2019s first two years, the Bush Administration expressed concern with the Council\u2019s disproportionate focus on Israel and lack of attention to other human rights situations. In mid-2008, it announced that the United States would withhold a portion of its contributions to the 2008 U.N. regular budget equivalent to the U.S. share of the Human Rights Council budget. The Administration further stated that the United States would engage with the Council only in matters of deep national interest. \nIn March 2009, the Obama Administration announced that the United States would run for a seat on the Council. The United States was elected as a Council member by the U.N. General Assembly in May 2009, and its term began its term in June. The Administration argues that it furthers the United States\u2019 interest \u201cif we are part of the conversation and present at the Council\u2019s proceedings.\u201d At the same time, however, it calls the Council\u2019s trajectory \u201cdisturbing,\u201d especially its \u201crepeated and unbalanced\u201d criticisms of Israel. In particular, Administration officials are concerned about the Council\u2019s decision to include the \u201chuman rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories\u201d as a permanent part of the Council\u2019s agenda. On November 5, 2010, the United States underwent the Council\u2019s universal periodic review process for the first time. It was elected to the Council for a second consecutive term in November 2012; its current term will expire at the end of 2015.\nSince its establishment, the Council has held 29 regular sessions and 23 special sessions. The regular sessions addressed a combination of specific human rights abuses and procedural and structural issues. Seven of the 23 special sessions addressed the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian territories and in Lebanon. Four of the special sessions focused on Syria, while others addressed Burma (Myanmar), the Central African Republic, Cote d\u2019Ivoire, Darfur, Haiti, Libya, Sri Lanka, and Boko Haram. The Council held a five-year review of its work in March 2011. Some participants, including the United States, felt the review did not sufficiently address the Council\u2019s weaknesses, particularly its focus on Israel and lack of mechanisms for ensuring credible membership.\nCongress maintains an ongoing interest in the credibility and effectiveness of the Council in the context of both human rights and broader U.N. reform. Most recently, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2015 (Division J, the Department of State Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2015; P.L. 113-235) required that funds appropriated by the act may be made available only if the Secretary of State reports to the Committees on Appropriations that participating in the Council is in the national interest of the United States. In addition, the Secretary of State shall report to Congress on resolutions adopted by the Council and steps taken to remove Israel as a permanent agenda item. This report will be updated as events warrant.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL33608", "sha1": "4115b627bb591ea647f1814d99b9c949495994dd", "filename": "files/20150707_RL33608_4115b627bb591ea647f1814d99b9c949495994dd.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL33608", "sha1": "31389167b0a50583020ca51dcd8fdc069be81a25", "filename": "files/20150707_RL33608_31389167b0a50583020ca51dcd8fdc069be81a25.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 3241, "name": "Global Health, Human Rights, and Humanitarian Policy" }, { "source": "IBCList", "id": 3605, "name": "United Nations" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc282353/", "id": "RL33608_2014Feb04", "date": "2014-02-04", "retrieved": "2014-04-02T19:38:14", "title": "The United Nations Human Rights Council: Issues for Congress", "summary": "This report provides historical background of the United Nations Human Rights Council, including the role of the previous Commission. It discusses the Council's current mandate and structure, as well as U.S. policy and congressional actions. Finally, it highlights possible policy issues for the 112th Congress, including the overall effectiveness of the Council in addressing human rights, implications for U.S. membership, and U.S. financial contributions to the Council.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20140204_RL33608_2363f5114bbdb133db3c92c1ab43894464ff889e.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20140204_RL33608_2363f5114bbdb133db3c92c1ab43894464ff889e.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Civil liberties", "name": "Civil liberties" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "United Nations", "name": "United Nations" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Human rights", "name": "Human rights" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "International affairs", "name": "International affairs" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc462745/", "id": "RL33608_2013Apr30", "date": "2013-04-30", "retrieved": "2014-12-05T09:57:41", "title": "The United Nations Human Rights Council: Issues for Congress", "summary": "This report provides historical background of the Council, including the role of the previous Commission. It discusses the Council's current mandate and structure, as well as U.S. policy and congressional actions. Finally, it highlights possible policy issues for the 113th Congress, including the overall effectiveness of the Council in addressing human rights situations, implications for U.S. membership, and U.S. financial contributions to the Council.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20130430_RL33608_4872e2368c898ba655575b7e4eece506069fe5df.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20130430_RL33608_4872e2368c898ba655575b7e4eece506069fe5df.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Civil liberties", "name": "Civil liberties" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "United Nations", "name": "United Nations" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Human rights", "name": "Human rights" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "International affairs", "name": "International affairs" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc819923/", "id": "RL33608_2012Oct11", "date": "2012-10-11", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "The United Nations Human Rights Council: Issues for Congress", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20121011_RL33608_a384c182a5d907ca63f2b2e32b625a04f7180fc1.pdf" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc84063/", "id": "RL33608_2011Nov15", "date": "2011-11-15", "retrieved": "2012-04-27T15:49:45", "title": "The United Nations Human Rights Council: Issues for Congress", "summary": "This report provides historical background of the Council, including the role of the previous Commission. It discusses the Council's current mandate and structures, as well as U.S. policy and congressional actions. Finally, it highlights possible policy issues for the 112th Congress, including the overall effectiveness of the Council in addressing human rights, implications for U.S. membership, and U.S. financial contributions to the Council.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20111115_RL33608_b6b30d0842f222b02b53d4d0f239f54b75eab7aa.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20111115_RL33608_b6b30d0842f222b02b53d4d0f239f54b75eab7aa.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Civil liberties", "name": "Civil liberties" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "United Nations", "name": "United Nations" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Human rights", "name": "Human rights" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "International affairs", "name": "International affairs" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc94070/", "id": "RL33608_2011Jul18", "date": "2011-07-18", "retrieved": "2012-07-24T12:39:36", "title": "The United Nations Human Rights Council: Issues for Congress", "summary": "This report provides historical background of the Council, including the role of the previous Commission. It discusses the Council's current mandate and structures, as well as U.S. policy and congressional actions. Finally, it highlights possible policy issues for the 112th Congress, including the overall effectiveness of the Council in addressing human rights, implications for U.S. membership, and U.S. financial contributions to the Council.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20110718_RL33608_deb4610877ab60942246892ab5e40bf7b9105083.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20110718_RL33608_deb4610877ab60942246892ab5e40bf7b9105083.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Civil liberties", "name": "Civil liberties" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "United Nations", "name": "United Nations" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Human rights", "name": "Human rights" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "International affairs", "name": "International affairs" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc103198/", "id": "RL33608_2011Jan26", "date": "2011-01-26", "retrieved": "2012-09-19T20:16:14", "title": "The United Nations Human Rights Council: Issues for Congress", "summary": "This report provides historical background of the the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, including the role of the previous Commission. 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