International Human Rights Bodies
UN Geneva, UN Photo by Joao Araujo PintoUnited Nations
The United Nations (UN) was established at the end of the Second World War, as an inter-governmental body. The foundational Document of the United Nations is the UN Charter. The Charter, signed on 26 June 1945, provides the basis for the structure and operation of the UN.
Article 1 of the UN Charter sets out the purposes of the United Nations, these are:
to maintain international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among nations and to achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.
The UN is divided into six principal organs: the Trusteeship Council, the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the International Court of Justice, and the Secretariat.
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
One of the primary organs of the UN of relevance to human rights is the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), based in Geneva, which is part of the United Nations secretariat (that is, it is staffed by international civil servants). The OHCHR is headed by a High Commissioner, currently Ms Navanethem Pillay of South Africa
The OHCHR is the principal UN body with responsibility for human rights.
Human Rights Council
The Human Rights Council, is an organ of the General Assembly. It is an inter-governmental body. The Human Rights Council was created by the UN General Assembly on 15 March 2006 with the main purpose of addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them. The Human Rights Council meets in regular sessions in Geneva.
Treaty Bodies
There are eight treaties of the United Nations which are described as the 'core' UN Treaties. When a State signs up to one of the core treaties, they also sign up to their compliance with that treaty being monitored by an independent body. These are known as the 'Treaty Bodies'. States are obliged to provide detailed periodic reports (usually every 4 - 5 years) to the treaty body. The body (called Committees) then assesses the report in dialogue with the state, and produces observations on the implementation of the treaty by the State. The relevant Committee may also receive information from national human rights institutions (such as the Irish Human Rights Commission), other UN agencies, NGO's and academic institutions in reaching its conclusions.
There are 8 Treaty Bodies, one for each of the 8 core Treaties. These are:
- Human Rights Committee (Monitoring the ICCPR)
- Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Monitoring ICESCR)
- Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (Monitoring CERD)
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (Monitoring CEDAW)
- Committee Against Torture (CAT) & Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) - Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (monitoring the CAT and OPCAT)
- Committee on the Rights of the Child (Monitoring the CRC)
- Committee on Migrant Workers (Monitoring the CMW)
- Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Monitoring the CRPD)
For more information check out the links to the individual treaty bodies or click here
Special Procedures Mandate Holders
The UN Human Rights Council from time to time establishes special mechanisms to address specific country issues or thematic issues. The UN appoints a person known as a special procedure mandate holder who has responsibility to examine, monitor, advise and publicly report on human rights situations in specific countries or in relation to specific thematic issues. The mandate holders are usually international experts of high standing and are independent in their functions.
Examples of country mandate holders include:
- Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Burundi, Mr. Akich OKOLA (Kenya)
- Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Haiti, Mr. Michel FORST (France)
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Mr. Tomás OJEA QUINTANA (Argentina)
Examples of thematic mandate holders include:
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Mr. Olivier de SCHUTTER (Belgium)
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression Mr. Frank La Rue (Guatemala)
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Ms. Margaret SEKAGGYA (Uganda)
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment Mr. Manfred NOWAK (Finland)
Currently there are 31 thematic special procedure mandate holders and 8 country-specific mandate holders.