ABOUT UN HUMAN RIGHTS The façade of Palais Wilson, UN Human Rights headquarters in Geneva, illuminated on Human Rights Day, December 2017. © OHCHR efficiency within the Office. The achievements under these GMOs are elaborated in the Management chapter on page 66. Supporting the human rights bodies and mechanisms The Human Rights Council (HRC), which is composed of 47 Member States of the United Nations that are elected by the General Assembly for fixed terms, receives secretariat and technical support from the Office in its work, including in the context of its regular and special sessions, organizational meetings and the meetings of its subsidiary bodies. UN Human Rights also organizes and supports stakeholder meetings, special events, discussions and expert panels. In addition, UN Human Rights supports the Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism. By November 2016, all 193 Member States had been reviewed by the UPR for the second time and in May 2017, the third cycle began. During 2017, States had their human rights records reviewed by the Working Group, which benefited from the background documentation prepared by UN Human Rights to facilitate the review. In this context, the Office develops UPR training modules and briefs States and other stakeholders on the UPR mechanism. It provides States with technical assistance to strengthen their national processes so that they are better able to engage with the UPR and other international human rights mechanisms and then follow-up on the implementation of their recommendations. Furthermore, UN Human Rights provides secretariat and technical assistance to independent human rights 58 UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2017 experts, known as special procedures mandate-holders, who are appointed by the Council and mandated to report and advise on human rights issues and situations from a thematic or country-specific perspective. As of the end of 2017, there were 56 special procedures; 44 of which are dedicated to thematic issues and 12 of which are dedicated to country situations. The Office provides thematic, fact-finding, policy, legal and methodological expertise, research, analysis and documentation and assists with logistical and administrative matters. With the support of UN Human Rights, the special procedures undertake country visits; initiate action in relation to individual cases and concerns of a broader, structural nature, including by sending communications to States and other stakeholders; conduct thematic studies and convene expert consultations; contribute to the development of international human rights standards; engage in advocacy; raise public awareness; and provide advice for technical cooperation. Special procedures report annually to the Human Rights Council. The majority of the mandates also report to the General Assembly. Finally, UN Human Rights provides support to the 10 human rights treaty bodies. The treaty bodies are committees of independent experts that consider the progress that has been made and the challenges that are being faced by countries in implementing the obligations of the international human rights treaties they have ratified. All but two of these committees may, under certain circumstances, receive and consider individual complaints or communications from individuals regarding violations of treaty provisions. The results of the deliberations of the treaty bodies contribute to a rich and dynamic body of jurisprudence on international human rights law.