The General Assembly (GA), the main deliberative body of the United Nations, is divided internally into six Committees (also called Commissions), each consisting of all 193 UN member States.

Human rights issues are mainly dealt with in the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Commission). The competence of this Commission includes topics such as: torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; advancement of women; rights of refugees and displaced persons; promotion and protection of the rights of the child; rights of indigenous peoples; elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; the right of peoples to self-determination; and social development.