Preventing Torture An Operational Guide for National Human Rights Institutions In 2007, the Committee wrote a letter to the ICC Chair requesting comments from NHRIs on the draft general comment on article 2. A number of NHRIs reviewed the draft general comment and submitted responses to the Committee. 2. Mechanisms under the United Nations Human Rights Council The Human Rights Council is a permanent United Nations body aimed at strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. It was created in 2006 to replace the Commission on Human Rights. The new Council has been given a clear mandate to undertake its work based on the principles of universality, equality, non-selectivity and objectivity. The Human Rights Council is composed of 47 Member States elected by the General Assembly through secret ballot. The most important and innovative aspect of the Council is the universal periodic review, a process which examines the human rights situation of all Member States on a regular basis. The Human Rights Council also assumes the special procedures created under the former Commission on Human Rights. NHRIs that have been accredited as complying with the Paris Principles (“A status”) have been recognized with the following participation rights in the Human Rights Council: • separate accreditation status (different from States and from NGOs) • the right to speak under all items of the Council’s agenda • the right to make written statements for inclusion in the official record of meetings Image: APF / Ben Lee • dedicated seating. 2.1. Special procedures The fact-finding and investigatory mechanisms of the Human Rights Council are collectively known as the special procedures. These include Special Rapporteurs, Special Representatives of the SecretaryGeneral and working groups mandated by the Human Rights Council with the aim of documenting human rights violations on particular themes or country situations. 70 | Chapter 7: Cooperating with international mechanisms