From its very establishment, the United Nations has aimed to protect and defend the rights and freedoms bestowed equally upon individuals of every race, gender, ethnicity and belief by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. No agency represents this interest better than the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which presents itself as the leading international entity when it comes to the monitoring, promotion and enforcement of rights and liberties all across the globe.

Since 1993, it has investigated allegations of human rights violations in countless countries, working with governments and international organizations alike to stop them in accordance with humanitarian law. It supports states by assisting them in the creation of legal frameworks and monitoring mechanisms that will help detect and punish those breaching the sanctity of human rights, before these violations can grow into genuine humanitarian issues. It also empowers them to speak up and debate these matters through the Human Rights Council, the largest subsidiary body of the OHCHR and an important actor when it comes to devising new ways to safeguard human rights without discrimination or injustice.

The agenda items of the committee look at two contentious regions when it comes to the OHCHR’s activities: Eastern Europe, where the Russo-Ukrainian war and political strife have only caused human rights to deteriorate further, and the Middle East, where governments are still recovering from the Arab Spring movement, but change is yet to have been put into action. Whether delegates prefer gradual reform or heavy intervention, something must be done to protect human rights and fulfill the OHCHR’s responsibilities.