ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the role that UN charter-based bodies are mandated to play for the protection and promotion of human rights, how effective they have been in discharging their mandate, and their limitations, strengths and weaknesses. In the absence of a principal organ of the UN devoted to the protection and promotion of human rights, the main UN organ entrusted with this task is the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The Special Representatives for human rights, who act as bridge builders and catalysts for action in the area concerned, report directly to the Secretary General. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has an important role in bringing to justice violators of international humanitarian law and, in some of the more serious cases, human rights law. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has a vital role to play in the protection of refugees.
