UN-Human Rights Bodies: Getting Started
Within the scope of the complex system of the United Nations to protect human rights, one must differentiate between two types of bodies:
Charter-Based Bodies: Bodies of State Representatives
Most charter-based bodies of the UN deal with the promotion and enforcement of human rights. They are political in that their members are controlled by states representatives that partially operate for the purpose of the states. According to the UN Charter, mainly the following bodies are entrusted with the enforcement of human rights:
- General Assembly (since 1945)
- Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC, since 1945)
- Commission on the Status of Women (since 1946)
- Commission on Human Rights (1947 to 2006)
- Human Rights Council (since 2006)
- High Commissioner for Human Rights (since 1994)
Treaty-Based Bodies: Bodies of Experts
A committee is associated with each human rights treaty. Their function is to monitor the compliance of states with the provisions of the treaties. These committees are composed of independent experts. They are:
- Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
- Human Rights Committee
- Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Committee against Torture
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Committee on Migrant Workers
Information on Treaty-Based Bodies
- Simple Guide to the Treaty Bodies
International Service for Human Rights
Individual Complaints to Treaty-Based Bodies
- How To Complain to the UN Human Rights Treaty System
bayefsky.com
Research Aid
- Universal Human Rights Index of United Nations Documents
A helpful search engine for all documents of the treaty bodies since 2000 - Calendar of Human Rights Bodies Meetings and Events for 2011
- Graphic introduction into the human rights system of the United Nations
English (pdf, 18 p.)
Update: 19.08.2011
