Which of the following is not a characteristic of the UN Human Rights Council?

The United Nations Human Rights Council is fundamentally a forum for dialogue and cooperation among states regarding human rights issues, but it does not possess legal binding power. This means that while it can issue resolutions, recommendations, and reports to promote and protect human rights, its actions lack the force of law that would compel states to comply. The Council’s resolutions may carry significant moral and political weight, but they do not have the authority to create legally enforceable obligations.

In contrast, features such as Commissions of Inquiry, political pressure strategies, and name and shame tactics are intrinsic to the operations of the Council. Commissions of Inquiry are established to investigate specific human rights situations and bring attention to violations, while political pressure strategies can involve generating consensus among member states to address urgent human rights concerns. Name and shame tactics refer to the practice of publicly identifying states or entities that are violating human rights, which serves as a means of holding them accountable and raising awareness. Each of these methods plays a crucial role in how the Council operates and influences human rights practices globally.