UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Council Volker Turk [Credit: Volker Turk] Nigeria has been elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council for a three-year term beginning in January 2027. The council announced the election on its official X account, listing Nigeria among 15 countries elected by the UN General Assembly to serve on the body from 2027 to 2029.
The other countries are Brazil, Burundi, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Ghana, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Nepal, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Uruguay and Zambia. Established by the UN General Assembly in 2006, the Human Rights Council is responsible for promoting and protecting human rights worldwide. It also addresses human rights violations and makes recommendations to governments on how to tackle them. PREMIUM TIMES reports that the council has 47 member states, elected by the General Assembly.
Its headquarters is at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland. It provides a platform for governments, civil society groups, UN officials and independent experts to discuss human rights concerns. It can adopt resolutions on specific violations, hold special sessions to respond to urgent situations and appoint independent experts to investigate particular issues or monitor conditions in individual countries.
The council also examines the human rights records of all UN member states through the Universal Periodic Review, a process under which countries assess one another’s records and make recommendations for improvement. Where serious violations are reported, it can authorise commissions of inquiry and fact-finding missions to gather evidence, including evidence of possible war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The council has held 36 special sessions to address urgent human rights situations, according to information on its official website. Its resolutions and recommendations can put pressure on governments to address abuses, although the council does not have the power to enforce its recommendations.