<Li> "To undertake studies, particularly in the light of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and to make recommendations to the Commission concerning the prevention of discrimination of any kind relating to human rights and fundamental freedoms and the protection of racial, national, religious and linguistic minorities". </Li> <P> Other functions and tasks could also be assigned to it by ECOSOC or the Commission on Human Rights . </P> <P> It was composed of 26 human rights experts, each with an alternate and each elected for a term of four years, with half of the posts up for election every two years . Membership was selected from amongst the eligible candidates from United Nations member states in such a way as to result in roughly equal and proportional representation from each of the continents . </P> <P> As of 2004, the breakdown of membership was: </P>

United nations subcommission on prevention of discrimination and protection of minorities