The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) announced plans to monitor the 59th Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, taking place for 6 weeks in Geneva, Switzerland from March 17 to April 25. The UN Commission on Human Rights opens every year from March to April, but the NHRC could not monitor the 2002 session because it was in the early stages of establishment.
The monitoring was planned in order to promote understanding of current international human rights issues, and will be conducted for 5 weeks, excluding the last week of voting. The first NHRC monitoring team was dispatched and began activities from March 17 in Geneva, and other teams will be sent successively.
The Commission on Human Rights is a constitutional body of the United Nations that deals with current international human rights issues, and consists of 53 member countries. South Korea has been an active member since 1993. In addition, the 59th Session will deal with 22 agenda items including civil and political rights; economic, social and cultural rights; the rights of children, and racism.
The NHRC President, Chang-kuk Kim is expected to attend the UN CHR from April 14 for Agenda 18 (Effective functioning of human rights mechanisms - National institutional and regional arrangements). A more detailed itinerary is still under discussion.
