Explained: What is the UN human rights body, what does it do?

On its website, the Human Rights Council decribes itself as "an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe

The Human Rights Council holds no fewer than three regular sessions a year, for a total of at least 10 weeks.

The United Nations High Comissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has expressed concern over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, and the communications blackout and detention of political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir. Bachelet was speaking at the opening of the 42nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva. Who are the UNHRC, and why were current developments in India being discussed?