Performance and Challenges of the UN Human Rights Council : An NGOs’ View

The current dynamic within the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) has driven the Council in certain cases to function more closely in accordance with normative standards, as well as with the reality on the ground. Civil society stakeholders have a number of opportunities to consolidate that dynamic. ? The increasing number of cross-regional initiatives even on country situations indicates that »joint« does not necessarily mean »lowest common denominator«. However, instead of relying too much on a case- and victim-centred rationality underlying States’ actions, NGOs should focus on new mechanisms, ultimately in terms of a trigger system. ? Successful outcomes in protecting human rights are produced by efforts made within the framework of Special Procedures. In maintaining such a dynamic, civil society stakeholders are a major resource for continuously challenging governments, for instance, in terms of follow-up processes at national as well as at Council level.