The High Commissioner’s functions
as listed in GA resolution 48/141
• to promote and protect the effective enjoyment by all of all civil, cultural, economic, political and social
rights;
• to carry out the tasks assigned to him/her by the competent bodies of the United Nations system in the field of
human rights and to make recommendations to them with a view to improving the promotion and protection of all
human rights;
• to promote and protect the realization of the rights to development and to enhance support from relevant bodies
of the United Nations system for this purpose;
• to provide, through the [Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights] and other appropriate institutions,
advisory services and technical and financial assistance, at the request of the State concerned and, where
appropriate, the regional human rights organizations, with a view to supporting actions and programmes in the field
of human rights;
• to coordinate relevant United Nations education and public information programmes in the field of human
rights;
• to play an active role in removing the current obstacles and in meeting the challenges to the full realization of
all human rights and in preventing the continuation of human rights violations throughout the world, as reflected
in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action;
• to engage in a dialogue with all Governments in the implementation of his/her mandate with a view to securing
respect for all human rights;
• to enhance international cooperation for the promotion and protection of all human rights;
• to coordinate human rights promotion and protection activities throughout the United Nations system;
• to rationalize, adapt, strengthen and streamline the United Nations machinery in the field of human rights with a
view to improving its efficiency and effectiveness;
• to carry out overall supervision of the [Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights].
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