Explainer: What is the UN Human Rights Council?

Its 

beginning on Monday is the longest ever, running until April, and promises a packed agenda, with ongoing wars in Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine, the situation of human rights defenders worldwide and more than 50 national human rights records under scrutiny.

But, what does the Human Rights Council do and why does its work matter?

While the 47-member body has been the subject of controversy since its creation in 2006 – including the…