The United Nations Commission on Human Rights, 1982-1997: A study of "targeted" resolutions

This article examines resolutions passed by the United Nations Commission o n Human Rights from 1982 to 1997, which targeted specific states, governmen ts and other political actors for violations of human rights. The types of actors that were named, their regional distribution and the actions taken b y the Commission are each analyzed. Among the findings presented are that t he Commission's effectiveness has been limited by its inability to address most systematic government violations of human rights, by a lack of univers ality in its application of international standards and by a recent trend t oward consensus decision making.