SANGEETA SHAH
Lecturer in Law, Faculty of Social Sciences

The UN Human Rights Council is a relatively new institution.  Established by General Assembly Resolution 60/251 in 2006 to replace the former Commission on Human Rights, the Council is an inter-governmental body mandated to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. Recognising the unique position of national human rights institutions as a bridge between the national and international level, the Council is particularly directed to ‘work in close cooperation’ with such institutions. As such, national human rights institutions are given physical and political space to address the Council.  In particular, they are encouraged to participate in the Universal Periodic Review of their home state, engage with the Special Procedures of the Council, and address, either orally or through written interventions, the Council during debates on issues of concern.

Accredited with A-status in 2009 the EHRC is now permitted to speak, within its mandate, under all items on the Human Rights Council’s agenda.  Since then the EHRC has taken a number of opportunities, both individually and collectively with other national human rights institutions, to participate in discussions, submit documentation, and generally engage with the mechanisms of the Human Rights Council.  This paper will assess the contributions made by the EHRC at the Council, and, comparing this engagement with the activity of other national human rights institutions, make suggestions for how the EHRC can maximise the benefit of its interventions at the Council to further the protection of human rights at home.