75 years have passed since the United Nations came into existence. Over this period, international relations have undergone a dramatic change. Alongside with the mechanisms designed to protect peace and guarantee global security, the key UN’s achievement can be seen in its ability to defend human rights. Next year will mark the 75-year anniversary of the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) and the 15-year anniversary of its successor, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). These two jubilees is a good occasion to estimate the impact of the UN bodies on the protection and development of human rights throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. What’s more, having lost the 2016 election to the UNHRC, the Russian Federation is hoping to reinstate its membership for the period of 2021–2023. Last year, such proposal was put forward by Mr. Gatilov, the Russian permanent representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva. According to the document entitled «The candidacy of the Russian Federation for the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2021–2023», if reelected, Russia will seek to undertake efforts «to turn the Council into a working and effective body that will promote and protect human rights on an international scale». The article addresses the UN human rights activity, focusing on the UNHRC and Russia’s participation.
UNCHR; UNHRC; UPR; Russia.