A/HRC/2/2
A/HRC/Sub.1/58/36
page 79
B. The general vision of the Sub-Commission
14.
This section addresses the vision of the Sub-Commission with regard to the motivation
underlying the United Nations human rights system, its characteristics and its product.
1. Motivation underlying the United Nations human rights system
15.
The United Nations human rights system should be inspired by faith in the inherent
dignity and the equal rights of all human beings, committed to promotion of respect for the ideals
and principles proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights and convinced of the need for development and strengthening of universal
standards and rules for the interpretation and implementation in practice of the principles of
international human rights law.
2. Characteristics of the United Nations human rights system
16.
The general vision of the Sub-Commission is of a United Nations human rights system,
based on the equal importance, interdependence and equal value of all human rights,
characterized by coherence, objectivity, transparency, non-selectivity in the protection of rights
and freedoms, and participation of as wide a range of actors as possible, while, at the same time,
avoiding fragmentation, duplication of effort, double standards and political manipulation.
17.
The Sub-Commission considers that the Council is to become the pinnacle of such a
system. Further, it is convinced that, in order to achieve maximum effectiveness, the
Council would need to be served by a network of specialized mechanisms (i.e. working groups)
under a standing, collegial, independent expert advice body, which would function as a meeting
point or hub for action-oriented ideas and activities, as well as an instrument for reducing
present mistrust and tensions by promoting cooperation, rather than confrontation, among
member States.
18.
To that end, functioning and effective cooperation of all components of the
United Nations human rights system needs to be kept under constant review. It is the view of the
Sub-Commission that the body described in this document (HRCC) can be instrumental in
enabling the Council to gain the legitimacy that in recent times was claimed to be lacking in the
performance of the former Commission on Human Rights.
3. Product of the United Nations human rights system
19.
The test of the United Nations human rights system is the day-to-day experience of all
individuals and communities. In order to understand that experience and to contribute to
procedure is being referred to, that will be made clear in the text. TMBs: treaty monitoring
bodies. NHRI: national human rights institutions. NGOs: non-governmental organizations.
IGOs: regional, subregional, extraregional, or worldwide intergovernmental organizations.
WG: working group, a mechanism attached to some other body higher up in the hierarchical
order.
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