The now defunct UN Human Rights Commission had few friends by the end. Its critics complained of an extreme politicisation that made it highly selective about the issues it addressed. To make things worse, it was easily paralysed if a minority chose to block discussion.

The new Human Rights Council was created in its stead, with the hope that these problems would be resolved with a fresh start and a new structure. But the council itself has already been criticised, so will it be different enough to be effective?

OpenDemocracy's editor Isabel Hilton spoke to the new president of the council, Luis Alfonso de Alba.

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