A/RES/60/251 Affirming the need for all States to continue international efforts to enhance dialogue and broaden understanding among civilizations, cultures and religions, and emphasizing that States, regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, religious bodies and the media have an important role to play in promoting tolerance, respect for and freedom of religion and belief, Recognizing the work undertaken by the Commission on Human Rights and the need to preserve and build on its achievements and to redress its shortcomings, Recognizing also the importance of ensuring universality, objectivity and non-selectivity in the consideration of human rights issues, and the elimination of double standards and politicization, Recognizing further that the promotion and protection of human rights should be based on the principles of cooperation and genuine dialogue and aimed at strengthening the capacity of Member States to comply with their human rights obligations for the benefit of all human beings, Acknowledging that non-governmental organizations play an important role at the national, regional and international levels, in the promotion and protection of human rights, Reaffirming the commitment to strengthen the United Nations human rights machinery, with the aim of ensuring effective enjoyment by all of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, and to that end, the resolve to create a Human Rights Council, Decides to establish the Human Rights Council, based in Geneva, in 1. replacement of the Commission on Human Rights, as a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly; the Assembly shall review the status of the Council within five years; Decides that the Council shall be responsible for promoting universal 2. respect for the protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction of any kind and in a fair and equal manner; Decides also that the Council should address situations of violations of 3. human rights, including gross and systematic violations, and make recommendations thereon. It should also promote the effective coordination and the mainstreaming of human rights within the United Nations system; Decides further that the work of the Council shall be guided by the 4. principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity, constructive international dialogue and cooperation, with a view to enhancing the promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development; 5. Decides that the Council shall, inter alia: (a) Promote human rights education and learning as well as advisory services, technical assistance and capacity-building, to be provided in consultation with and with the consent of Member States concerned; (b) Serve as a forum for dialogue on thematic issues on all human rights; (c) Make recommendations to the General Assembly for the further development of international law in the field of human rights; (d) Promote the full implementation of human rights obligations undertaken by States and follow-up to the goals and commitments related to the promotion and 2